Cape Town - DA parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane, his deputy chief whip Mike Waters and ANC public service and administration committee chairwoman Peace Mabe are next in line for disciplinary proceedings before Parliament’s powers and privileges committee over disruptive behaviour.
This emerged on Thursday, some two weeks after the National Assembly adopted a powers and privileges committee guilty verdict, and sanctions ranging from suspension without pay for 30 days to a fine equivalent to 14 days’ salary, against 20 EFF MPs for their “pay back the money” rumpus,which ultimately led to the abandonment of President Jacob Zuma’s questions time on August 21.
The current disciplinary proceedings against Maimane, Waters and Mabe arose from several acrimonious and often chaotic National Assembly sittings in the past two months. Mabe is under scrutiny for calling another MP “bastard” while she was still on mike on the podium; Maimane for referring to the president as “a criminal” and, it is understood, for not sitting down when told to do so, and Waters for unbecoming utterances against the presiding officer and refusing to leave the House.
It is understood the DA is unhappy with the lack of details it was provided about exactly what conduct is being probed, particularly as it believed a final ruling from the presiding officer was still outstanding.
“This is a targeted attempt at silencing the DA and other opposition parties… As we have seen with the Nkandla ad hoc committee and a previous powers and privileges committee investigation of opposition members of Parliament, we expect that the ANC will use its majority to bulldoze through a premeditated outcome at the behest of Luthuli House,” said DA chief whip John Steenhuisen on Thursday.
However, ANC chief whip Stone Sizani’s office emphasised the rules must “bite” through their consistent application to prevent Parliament from falling into decay.
“Insults and unruly behaviour are an affront to the freedom of speech and they do nothing to enhance robust and frank parliamentary debates that must take our country forward,” said Sizani’s spokesman Moloto Mothapo.
The EFF fracas was the first time in 20 years the powers and privileges committee has been called to probe questionable conduct. The 1998 punch-up between then ANC MP Johnny de Lange and National Party MP Manie Schoeman was resolved by firm action from the Speaker at the time.
Although the EFF has applied for an urgent interdict, no court date has yet been set for a hearing against the parliamentary verdict and sanctions. The party has vowed to go to the Constitutional Court, if necessary, to get a date, and also to complain to the Judicial Service Commission about what it described as bias from Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe in the matter.
Political Bureau