Polokwane - The Limpopo ANC has suspended its own Speaker of the legislature Merriam Ramadwa and instructed her not to enter premises of the legislature.
The Star has seen the letter of suspension signed on Saturday by provincial secretary Nocks Seabi.
The reasons for the provincial working committee's “decision to instruct you to relinguish the position of the Speaker” include:
* Failure or refusal to execute the instruction of the ANC as the deployee of the ANC in the Limpopo provincial legislature as the Speaker
* Failure or refusal to work with the deployees of the ANC in the Limpopo provincial legislature
* Placing the ANC in the Limpopo legislature in disrepute and
* Gross insubordination to the structures of the ANC in the province.
The letter further said the provincial working committee considered as serious Ramadwa's “misconducts and your flagrant defiance” and their impact on the reputation of the ANC.
Seabi said in the letter that Ramadwa would be given a charge sheet in the next 30 days. “You're further informed that during the period of your temporary suspension, you are not entitled to exercise any of your rights in terms of the ANC constitution other than to attend the disciplinary proceedings,” the letter read in part.
Ramadwa's suspension has the potential to deepen warring factions that seem to be tearing the ruling party in the province apart.
The Star first reported in May, that ANC Limpopo chairman and Premier Stan Mathabatha and his ANC provincial executive committee's plans to remove Ramadwa as Speaker of the legislature were being frustrated.
The ANC wanted MP Polly Boshielo to replace Ramadwa as speaker of the legislature. But Ramadwa refused to resign as MPL to swap her roles with the MP in Cape Town.
This forced the ANC to swap Boshielo with former provincial secretary Joe Maswanganyi. Boshielo was later sworn in as MPL in June, but she has yet to take up the position of speaker because Ramadwa refused to relinguish it.
At the time sources said Mathabatha's intention to remove Ramadwa from the province was to break the back of a rebellious ANC grouping that was gunning for his ultimate removal as chairman and premier.
Ramadwa and Seabi could not be reached for comment.
ANC provincial spokeswoman Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said they would issue a statement.
The Star