Members of the African National Congress (ANC) in the powers and privileges committee have refused to call Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula as a witness in the disciplinary case against Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) members who disrupted President Cyril Ramaphosa in the State of the Nation Address.
ANC deputy chief whip Doris Dlakude said there was no point in calling Mapisa-Nqakula as a witness when they have sufficient evidence before them.
But EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said Mapisa-Nqakula was a crucial witness in the hearing because she was presiding over Sona when the incident happened.
Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Desiree van der Walt also said Mapisa-Nqakula was central to the case as she also called security officials after the EFF stormed the stage when Ramaphosa was addressing the nation.
EFF MPs have been charged for disrupting the Sona.
EFF leader Julius Malema is one of the witnesses. The other witnesses are Secretary to the National Assembly Masibulele Xaso, an official from the protection services of Parliament, and three officials who work in the technical sections of Parliament.
The powers and privileges committee met on Friday, where they received a report from Parliament’s legal adviser on why the Speaker should not be called as a witness.
This was after the EFF wrote to the committee that the Speaker must be subpoenaed.
But Dlakude said they cannot call the Speaker as a witness as they have sufficient evidence to proceed with the hearing against EFF members.
“As a committee, we cannot call the Speaker as a witness. The Speaker has submitted a report to that effect. We have invited witnesses to the committee, and one of them is Xaso, who is the chief adviser to the Speaker,” said Dlakude.
She said if the EFF wants to call the Speaker as their own witness, they can write to her, but the committee will not call her.
Ndlozi said the committee must be fair and transparent in the hearing. He said the Speaker was key to the whole events of February as she presided over the sitting.
“The Speaker was involved on that day. She is a material witness. She has written a report; she must speak to that report,” said Ndlozi.
Van der Walt also agreed that Mapisa-Nqakula must be called as a witness, as she was central to what happened on that day.
“I feel the Speaker was central in this matter; she called for security. I don’t see any harm in that. She is central to this,” said Van der Walt.
Chairperson of the committee Violet Siwela said, based on the report of the legal adviser of Parliament, Mapisa-Nqakula will not be called to come and give evidence.
She said if the EFF wanted to call her as their own witness, they could write to her.