Africa-Press – South-Africa. The Umkhonto Wesizwe Party has described an application by ten of its expelled MPs as frivolous.
In a judgment handed down on Monday, the Western Cape High Court said that the applicants failed to show they would suffer irreparable harm if they did not return to their jobs as MPs while they mount a legal challenge against their dismissal.
Party Spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndlela said that the group were told back in June not to report to Parliament to be sworn in as MPs.
In a statement the MK Party said that it never intended this dispute to reach court.
The party insists the disgruntled group was formally informed not to take up their seats in the National Assembly, but went ahead and did so anyway.
The swearing in of the MK Party’s 58-members was initially delayed when they boycotted the official swearing-in ceremony at the first sitting of Parliament.
The party said that it had to incur unnecessary costs replacing door locks and providing accommodation for new members, because the disgruntled group refused to vacate parliamentary housing.
Eight of the eighteen seats left vacant by the dismissals – have since been filled.
The court heard last week that the applicants would be left destitute and their defendants would suffer if they were made to leave their jobs as MPs.
Spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndlela said that their court action put the party into disrepute and impacted voting numbers in parliament.
During court proceedings last week, the court was informed the party’s leaders had given attorneys instructions to settle the matter out of court.
Failing to do so, however, the hearing continued after a brief adjournment.
Meanwhile Spokesperson for the disgruntled group Thamsanqa Khuzwayo said the next steps will be discussed with lawyers this evening.
For More News And Analysis About South-Africa Follow Africa-Press
