Opposition forges joint motion of no confidence.
THE country's leading opposition parties have united across ideological divides to table a motion of no confidence in the Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete.
The motion will be tabled by DA parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane this afternoon, and the opposition will demand that it be debated.
But ANC Chief Whip Stone Sizani has dismissed the plan as “a laughable stunt”.
Mbete has been drawing criticism for alleged partisan and emotional chairmanship as speaker.
Yesterday, the Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters, United Democratic Movement, Cope and Freedom Front Plus issued a joint statement, claiming that Mbete is “an obstacle to constructive debate and executive oversight in parliament”.
The joint motion of no confidence is part of an effort by opposition parties to pool resources and stand together where they agree that a united front would be more effective in curbing alleged ANC overreach.
The Daily Dispatch understands that the IFP and ACDP will decide their positions at their caucus meetings this morning, in time for Maimane to initiate a debate on the topic on behalf of the opposition this afternoon.
The positions of the African Independent Congress and the PAC are unclear.
The National Freedom Party, whose leader serves as a deputy minister in the Zuma government, and the APC, whose leader serves as a committee chairman at the pleasure of the ANC, are not expected to support the rest of the opposition.
The united opposition, whose announcement of their motion saw Maimane and EFF leader Julius Malema sit next to each other in unlikely unison, gave seven reasons why Mbete should stand down.
- Her leadership role in the ANC (she is the national chairperson) makes it impossible for her to act as a neutral speaker;
She is compromised on the issue of executive oversight through her statements that she disagrees with Public Protector Thuli Madonsela on the improvements to President Jacob Zuma's Nkandla homestead when, among other statements, she said “you don't interfere with a man’s kraal”;
Politicisation of parliament through the appointment of recently retired ANC politicians like Johnny de Lange and Arthur Moloto into supposedly apolitical positions in her office at huge salaries of more than R1-million a year;
Poor internal management of parliament by not calling meetings of the parliamentary oversight authority, which must give information on budget processes, amongst other matters;
Failure to perform her duties on August 21, when presidential question time turned rowdy;
The threatened militarisation of parliament through intervention by the security forces and cabinet in the parliamentary security arrangement; and
Personal integrity issues, including Mbete fraudulently attaining a drivers’ licence in 1997, and her support for convicted fraudster and former ANC Chief Whip Tony Yengeni.Malema said it was not a matter of no ANC MP being acceptable to the opposition. He named ANC MPs Thoko Didiza and Joanne Fubbs as good, unbiased speakers.
Sizani, however, was having none of it.
“Such unimaginative publicity stunts are not new; they have been so overused under former DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko’s coalition that they have become too dull to take seriously,” he said.
“It can only be a patent lack of creativity that the new coalition, led by the curious marriage of the DA’s Mmusi Maimane and the EFF’s Julius Malema, would rehash such vapid stunts and hope they would succeed.
“The call by the EFF and its lackeys today is nothing but a desperate campaign to undermine the process that is currently unfolding in the powers and privileges committee, before which its rowdy and disruptive MPs are appearing on a range of misconduct charges.
“The allegations levelled against the Speaker are therefore simply baseless and a ridiculous sideshow,” said Sizani.
DA, EFF unite against Speaker
THE country's leading opposition parties have united across ideological divides to table a motion of no confidence in the Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete.
The motion will be tabled by DA parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane this afternoon, and the opposition will demand that it be debated.
But ANC Chief Whip Stone Sizani has dismissed the plan as “a laughable stunt”.
Mbete has been drawing criticism for alleged partisan and emotional chairmanship as speaker.
Yesterday, the Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters, United Democratic Movement, Cope and Freedom Front Plus issued a joint statement, claiming that Mbete is “an obstacle to constructive debate and executive oversight in parliament”.
The joint motion of no confidence is part of an effort by opposition parties to pool resources and stand together where they agree that a united front would be more effective in curbing alleged ANC overreach.
The Daily Dispatch understands that the IFP and ACDP will decide their positions at their caucus meetings this morning, in time for Maimane to initiate a debate on the topic on behalf of the opposition this afternoon.
The positions of the African Independent Congress and the PAC are unclear.
The National Freedom Party, whose leader serves as a deputy minister in the Zuma government, and the APC, whose leader serves as a committee chairman at the pleasure of the ANC, are not expected to support the rest of the opposition.
The united opposition, whose announcement of their motion saw Maimane and EFF leader Julius Malema sit next to each other in unlikely unison, gave seven reasons why Mbete should stand down.
Malema said it was not a matter of no ANC MP being acceptable to the opposition. He named ANC MPs Thoko Didiza and Joanne Fubbs as good, unbiased speakers.
Sizani, however, was having none of it.
“Such unimaginative publicity stunts are not new; they have been so overused under former DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko’s coalition that they have become too dull to take seriously,” he said.
“It can only be a patent lack of creativity that the new coalition, led by the curious marriage of the DA’s Mmusi Maimane and the EFF’s Julius Malema, would rehash such vapid stunts and hope they would succeed.
“The call by the EFF and its lackeys today is nothing but a desperate campaign to undermine the process that is currently unfolding in the powers and privileges committee, before which its rowdy and disruptive MPs are appearing on a range of misconduct charges.
“The allegations levelled against the Speaker are therefore simply baseless and a ridiculous sideshow,” said Sizani.
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