Cape Town - South Africa’s ruling party on Tuesday called attempts by opposition parties to have the Speaker of the National Assembly removed “frivolous” and a waste of court resources.
“It is clear that the country is confronted with an increasing phenomenon of deep-pocketed political parties who have turned courtrooms into harvest for cheap media publicity through frivolous cases,” said Phumelele Stone Sizani, African National Congress (ANC) Chief Whip.
Sizani was referring to a court case opened by opposition parties Agang SA, the Congress of the People (COPE), and the United Democratic Movement (UDM). The application called for the removal of Speaker of the National Assembly and ANC National Chairperson, Baleka Mbete.
The opposition parties approached the Western Cape High Court on Monday seeking court action to remove Mbete from her position as speaker, deeming her unfit and biased, and to prevent her from presiding when Parliament debates a motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma.
Sizani said opposition parties approaching the court on this matter was a “flagrant abuse of the courts and the judiciary” and that the case was based neither on law nor the constitution.
“The appointment and conduct of the Speaker is governed under the Constitution and the rules of Parliament, and these parties cannot point to any transgression on the part of Speaker Baleka Mbete,” said Sizani.
ANA