South African ruling party backs president despite scandal

ARCHIVO - En esta imagen tomada el jueves 11 de febrero de 2016, el presidente Jacob Zuma, llega al Parlamento en Ciudad del Cabo, Sudáfrica, para el discurso sobre el Estado de la Nación, el jueves 31 de marzo de 2016. El presidente sudafricano, Jacob Zuma, “no cumplió” la ley al no devolver fondos estatales empleados en reforma de su casa, dice Corte Constitucional. (AP Foto/Mike Hutchings, Pool, Archivo) (The Associated Press)

Mmusi Maimane, leader of the Official opposition Democratic Alliance party, addresses journalist outside the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, March 31, 2016. The court ruled that President Jacob Zuma "failed to uphold" the law when he did not pay back some state funds used to upgrade his personal residence. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) (The Associated Press)

JOHANNESBURG – Opposition lawmakers are heaping criticism on South African President Jacob Zuma after a court said he violated the constitution, but the institution that can oust him — the ruling African National Congress party — has yet to turn on its leader.

The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, said Friday that it will push to impeach Zuma after the Constitutional Court ruled that Zuma "failed to uphold" the constitution when he didn't pay back some of the millions of dollars in state funds used to upgrade his private home.

Impeachment requires a two-thirds majority in a vote in parliament where the ANC party has a comfortable majority. The top court also ruled Thursday that parliament had failed in its obligations by not holding Zuma to account in the spending scandal.