Cape Town, Mar 31 (IANS): South Africa's National Assembly, or the lower house of Parliament, voted down a motion of no confidence in the Cabinet, excluding President Cyril Ramaphosa, in open voting.

The voting on the motion, which was tabled by Official Opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), took place during a hybrid plenary meeting shortly after lawmakers debated the matter in the Good Hope Chamber at Parliament in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa, reports Xinhua news agency.

Deputy Speaker Solomon Lechesa Tsenoli announced the voting was 231 against, 131 in favour, and one abstention.

Had the motions passed, all cabinet members, led by the ruling African National Congress (ANC), excluding the President would have been dismissed.

A motion of no confidence against Ramaphosa, presented by opposition party African Transformation Movement (ATM), did not proceed as scheduled during the over-five-hour meeting due to disagreement over the procedure, and Speaker Nosiviwe Noluthando Mapisa-Nqakula ruled that the matter will be dealt on Wednesday with National Assembly's Program Committee.

ANC has been governing the country since the first democratic election in April 1994.