South African President Jacob Zuma stares down the barrel of a parliamentary gun

South African President Jacob Zuma is staring down the barrel of a parliamentarygun: South Africa’s parliament plans to file a motion of no-confidence in Zuma using a secret ballot system, their speaker ruled on Monday,according to Reuters. “The decision increases the chances [Zuma] will have to step down” and could allow members of Zuma’s ruling African National Congress to feel emboldened enough to abandon the embattled president after eight no-confidence votes. Since Zuma assumed power in 2009, South Africa’s economy has gone from being one of the continent’s juggernauts to a recent downgrade to ‘junk’ status. Bank stocks, bonds and the Rand rallied after the announcement. The current crisis was sparked by Zuma’s controversial decision back in March to fire respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan.