Africa-Press – South-Africa. The DA is seeing red after National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula shot down its request for a secret ballot procedure during the motion of no confidence in President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Cabinet.
On Thursday, Mapisa-Nqakula said she had written to DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone to deny the party’s request.
In the letter, Mapisa-Nqakula said she was not persuaded that there was a proper basis to conclude that any member would not be able to freely and consciously express an open vote different from their party’s preference and felt secure they have done so in keeping with their oath of allegiance to the Constitution.
Mazzone told News24 the party was currently looking at other options.
“People have the right to vote with their conscience, and the atmosphere in Parliament is so toxic, not a single member of the ANC will feel safe voting against their chief whip with their conscience,” she said.
Vote of no confidence: Speaker of Parliament rejects DA call for secret ballot on Ramaphosa Cabinet
Mazzone said she thought the speaker would make a mockery of this vote unless she allowed people to vote with true freedom.
In an initial letter to Mapisa-Nqakula, Mazzone said the secret ballot voting procedure on the motion would ensure absolute security and freedom of vote, stating there was no chance a member would stand up against their chief whip to vote differently.
“I am concerned that a secret voting procedure may facilitate the possibility of negative practices aimed at influencing members to vote in a particular manner since members will be shielded from scrutiny and accountability to the people they represent to exercise that constitutional duty,” Mapisa-Nqakula said.
Last month, she also refused the African Transformation Movement’s request for a secret ballot on the motion of no confidence in the president.
The DA brought a motion of no confidence against Cabinet ministers in February.
The motion against the president and his Cabinet will be debated next week.
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