Cape Town - A highly anticipated sitting at the Western Cape Legislature to appoint a new Speaker is expected to proceed on Monday, despite former legislature speaker Masizole Mnqasela filing an urgent interdict to prevent the proceedings.
Embattled Mnqasela turned to the Western Cape High Court on Friday to prevent the DA from nominating someone to fill the vacancy resulting from an alleged cessation of his DA membership.
The interdict also aims to prevent Secretary of the Legislature, Advocate Romeo Adams, from taking steps to fill in the vacancy pending the outcome of the hearing against Mnqasela.
Part of the relief is that the DA pays costs of the application.
Early in December the DA terminated Mnqasela’s membership and instructed that he reapplies.
Despite Mnqasela allegedly responding through a letter demanding the withdrawal of the cessation of his membership, a Federal Executive (FedEx) meeting concluded to reject it.
This meant Mnqasela was relieved as an MPL and Speaker. Mnqasela wants the court to declare that he has not ceased to be a DA member and the Speaker.
“(I) Filed my court papers contesting my expulsion from the Democratic Alliance. This is now a matter of public record. A fight for justice and freedom is a journey, not an eventful act,” said Mnqasela.
Alan Winde’s spokesperson, Regan Thaw confirmed that Winde was aware of the application and that “the sitting will proceed.”
Adams called the urgent sitting on Monday for the election of a Speaker. The ANC in the legislature said it welcomed the urgent sitting of the House on Monday.
This follows a motion moved by the party’s leader Cameron Dugmore on December 5 to declare a vacancy and elect a new Speaker.
Deputy chief whip Khalid Sayed said the ANC Caucus has taken a decision to nominate Nobulumko “Nomi” Nkondlo as its candidate to contest the position of Speaker due to her performance in holding the DA government to account.
“The ANC believes it has fielded a strong candidate who will bring stability and decorum to the office of the Speaker. She also brings a wealth of political experience and superior logic,” said Sayed.
The ANC called on the DA to not nominate its Deputy Speaker, Beverly Schafer following the scathing Conduct Committee Report against her.
Action SA provincial chairperson Michelle Wasserman accused the DA of having double standards ahead of election on Monday.
Wasserman said Schafer was found to have caused fruitless and wasteful expenditure – the same charges levelled against Mnqasela.
“It is noteworthy that, despite the serious findings made, the DA did not bring a motion of no confidence to remove Schafer from her position of Deputy Speaker.
“This failure is, at best, evidence of factionalism and double standards within the DA and will undoubtedly be perceived as racist by the people of South Africa and of the Western Cape when juxtaposed with the Masizole Mnqasela matter.”
Cape Times