Africa-Press – South-Africa. MAYIBONGWE MAQHINA
NATIONAL Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said she was applying her mind to the motion of no confidence in the cabinet tabled by DA leader John Steenhuisen.
This after DA deputy chief whip Siviwe Gwarube said she was made aware that constitutional motions sent to her office were given precedence to be considered and to be added to the programme.
“I want to also find out from you and, perhaps, your guidance on a motion that was submitted last week by the leader of the opposition and how it will be handled just going forward, of course, it being a constitutional motion and requires urgent attention,” Gwarube said.
She asked Mapisa-Nqakula during the meeting of the programme committee on on Thursday.
Secretary to the National Assembly Masibulele Xaso confirmed that constitutional motions were given priority. “The Speaker is applying herself to the matter and, of course, the Speaker will give a response as soon as possible,” Xaso said.
Mapisa-Nqakula noted that the matter was raised in the State of the Nation Address (Sona) debate on Monday by Steenhuisen and that she subsequently received a written motion the following day.
“This is a matter I am applying my mind to and, of course, with the advice of my legal team,” she said.
During the Sona debate, Steenhuisen said they would “make it easier” for President Cyril Ramaphosa by tabling a motion of no confidence in the whole cabinet in terms of Section 102 of the Constitution.
“If it’s not possible for you to hold your executive accountable and still survive as president, then we will take that burden off your hands and let this House fire them for you,” he said.
In his written motion, Steenhuisen said several ministers have been implicated in a startling number of governance failures, acts of alleged corruption and maladministration since May 2019.
“The startling numbers of governance failures have resulted in the collapse of service delivery in some government departments, while others have led to the complete dereliction of duty by some members of the executive.”
Steenhuisen also said a recent damning report found that widespread infighting between some members of the executive, most notably those in the security cluster, directly contributed to the severity and prolonging of the July 2021 civil unrest.
His motion said the House should resolve that “it has no confidence in the current cabinet, and calls on the President of the Republic, Mr M C Ramaphosa, to reconstitute the cabinet”.
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