Cape Town - The motion of no confidence in National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, tabled by the EFF, is scheduled to take place on March 7.
This was revealed on Thursday by programme whip, Mina Lesoma when she presented parliament’s programmes for the weeks ahead after Deputy Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli considered the matter.
“We are suggesting that it be scheduled for March 7 and it has been included, accordingly,” Lesoma said.
Freedom Front Plus chief whip, Corne Mulder noted the date for the motion, but said: “I don’t see that on the programme”.
He asked exactly when it would be debated on the day of the parliamentary sitting.
EFF leader Julius Malema announced the tabling of the motion during the debate on the State of the Nation (Sona) address last week.
The motion emanates from Mapisa-Nqakula’s handling of the ejection of EFF MPs by security services who stormed the Cape Town City Hall Chamber, after some Red Berets climbed on to the stage where President Cyril Ramaphosa was seated during the Sona.
On Thursday, EFF MP Hlengiwe Mkhalipi said they welcomed the inclusion of the motion on the programme.
Mkhaliphi also said they were left confused on learning at the chief whips forum on Wednesday that Tsenoli was still dealing with the matter.
“Now we welcome the inclusion of this matter and we have to know where it is in the programme, is it in the morning or afternoon, so we can come well prepared to remove you as the Speaker of Parliament,” she said.
Her colleague Natasha Ntlangwini said it needed to be emphasised on the programme so that they could inform their caucus of the time the motion would be considered.
“I strongly feel that we need to do it in a secret ballot because of victimisation of members, forced by the so-called party line.
“I want to know, is it hybrid? It needs to be physical,” she said.
“It has never happened in parliament of a motion of no confidence against the Speaker. It needs all of us to be in physical attendance to remove you, Speaker,” Ntlangwini added.
Mapisa-Nqakula said Tsenoli would determine whether there would be a secret ballot and whether the sitting would be physical.
ANC chief, whip Pemmy Majodina said they were ready for the motion, but it should be reflected on the programme.
Majodina indicated her wish to discuss the matter but did not want to compromise Mapisa-Nqakula, who was presiding over the meeting.
“I reserve my comments,” she said.
DA chief whip, Siviwe Gwarube said she would have wanted to discuss the voting on the motion but noted that Tsenoli was the one dealing with the motion.
“We are waiting to hear from him in detail how voting will be done on the day,” Gwarube said.
But Mkhaliphi said they wanted to know about the voting and hoped it would be clarified at the next meeting of the chief whips forum, as he was not at the programme committee meeting.
“We must not be taken by surprise on the day of the vote of no confidence against the Speaker. Can we be given information to prepare to remove you?” Mkhaliphi asked.
Mapisa-Nqakula again said Tsenoli would communicate the method of voting on the motion.
“I will request the deputy speaker to avail himself to provide you with that information,” she said.
ANC MP and one of the House chairs, Madala Ntombela said the democratic processes of parliament allowed parties to make such motions.
“There is no problem about it. All I wanted to say is that, yes, they can bring it on. We put it on record that we will also be there to defend it,” Ntombela said.
Secretary to the National Assembly, Masibulele Xaso said in terms of the rules, the motion comes after the orders of the day in the afternoon.
Cape Times