DURBAN - Speaker Baleka Mbete has buckled under pressure from the opposition and postponed the motion of no confidence debate until the Constitutional Court has finalised its hearing on the matter.
After a two-day stand-off between Mbete and the DA on who was responsible for the withdrawal of the motion, Mbete on Wednesday said the programming committee would deal with the matter in May.
The DA had refused to withdraw the motion on the agenda of Parliament, and asked Mbete to postpone it.
Mbete said, in a letter to the opposition, that the motion would be discussed in May.
“Please note that the debate and vote on the motion of no confidence is postponed pending consideration of the matter by the programme committee after the constituency period,” Mbete said.
DA chief whip John Steenhuisen said they welcomed the Speaker’s decision to postpone the debate on the motion of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma.
It had been scheduled for Tuesday.
He said it had always been their contention that the motion be postponed until the Constitutional Court had concluded the hearing on the application brought by the UDM.
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa had earlier warned of a court interdict if Mbete refused to postpone the motion of no confidence debate.
The UDM and EFF had written to Mbete to ask her to postpone the motion after the Constitutional Court granted the UDM direct access for its application.
Steenhuisen said they welcomed the move by Mbete.
He said it would have reflected badly on Parliament if it continued with the motion on Tuesday when the Constitutional Court had not finalised the case.
The ANC has asked its members to toe the party line and not back the motion.
The UDM wants the court to rule on whether the vote will be by secret ballot, allowing MPS to vote by conscience.
However, that would have to wait until May when the programming committee discusses the matter.
Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has given all the parties directives on the application by the UDM.
Parties opposing the UDM application have until the close of business today to file their papers.
The UDM has until Wednesday to file its replying papers.
Then next Friday all the parties have to file their written submissions to the Constitutional Court.