Democtratic Alliance provincial leader Athol Trollip has been reinstated to the provincial legislature after he apologised for “any misunderstanding or embarrassment” caused to premier Phumulo Masualle on the Mandela funeral scandal.
His statement came as part of an out-of-court settlement between Trollip and the provincial legislature’s speaker and deputy over disciplinary action taken against Trollip. In turn the disciplinary action was dropped, and the speaker and deputy agreed to pay the costs of the legal action.
The dispute arose when the legislature’s ethics committee fined Trollip a month’s salary and suspended him from the legislature for 14 days after finding him guilty of bringing the institution into disrepute.
The committee found Trollip had failed to apologise for implying that Masualle was a “liar and cheat”, something Trollip denied he had ever said.
Trollip claimed that a question he wrote on the transfer of R250000 of provincial government funds into Masualle’s account had been edited to protect Masualle.
He said the questions had been “tampered with” by legislature officials and accused the premier of “ducking and diving” to avoid answering the question.
Masualle complained to legislature speaker Noxolo Kiviet that Trollip’s comments implied he was “a liar and cheat” and demanded Trollip apologise.
But the DA leader refused, saying he would do so only when his original questions had been answered.
Yesterday, during the first sitting of the legislature in Burgersdorp, Trollip said his reinstatement and payment of his salary effectively overturned the suspension of two weeks and fine of one month’s salary.
“I have never said or implied that the premier had anything to do with the changing or sanitisation of the opposition’s questions submitted for his attention and response.
“I apologise for any misunderstanding or embarrassment that might have been caused in this regard,” Trollip’s statement reads.
He said the entire process has had effectively cost the public purse approximately R100000, if not more.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Masualle said: “The matter has been laid to rest and I do not want to add anything further.”
Legislature spokeswoman Bulelwa Ganyaza said the legislature was not going to comment on the statement. — mpumpziz@dispatch.co.za
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His statement came as part of an out-of-court settlement between Trollip and the provincial legislature’s speaker and deputy over disciplinary action taken against Trollip. In turn the disciplinary action was dropped, and the speaker and deputy agreed to pay the costs of the legal action.
The dispute arose when the legislature’s ethics committee fined Trollip a month’s salary and suspended him from the legislature for 14 days after finding him guilty of bringing the institution into disrepute.
The committee found Trollip had failed to apologise for implying that Masualle was a “liar and cheat”, something Trollip denied he had ever said.
Trollip claimed that a question he wrote on the transfer of R250000 of provincial government funds into Masualle’s account had been edited to protect Masualle.
He said the questions had been “tampered with” by legislature officials and accused the premier of “ducking and diving” to avoid answering the question.
Masualle complained to legislature speaker Noxolo Kiviet that Trollip’s comments implied he was “a liar and cheat” and demanded Trollip apologise.
But the DA leader refused, saying he would do so only when his original questions had been answered.
Yesterday, during the first sitting of the legislature in Burgersdorp, Trollip said his reinstatement and payment of his salary effectively overturned the suspension of two weeks and fine of one month’s salary.
“I have never said or implied that the premier had anything to do with the changing or sanitisation of the opposition’s questions submitted for his attention and response.
“I apologise for any misunderstanding or embarrassment that might have been caused in this regard,” Trollip’s statement reads.
He said the entire process has had effectively cost the public purse approximately R100000, if not more.
Contacted for comment yesterday, Masualle said: “The matter has been laid to rest and I do not want to add anything further.”
Legislature spokeswoman Bulelwa Ganyaza said the legislature was not going to comment on the statement. — mpumpziz@dispatch.co.za
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