Cape Town - Police Minister Bheki Cele has been asked to withdraw his claim in the Parliamentary sitting that EFF leader Julius Malema had plotted with police commissioner Khehla Sitole to remove him from office.
Deputy Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli said Cele had to bring a substantive motion to Parliament for this allegation to be considered.
He said since Cele had not brought a substantive motion he would have to withdraw his remarks.
This came after EFF deputy leader Floyd Shivambu had asked the presiding officers to ask Cele to withdraw the allegation as he had not tabled a substantive motion in line with the rules of Parliament.
Cele on Monday told Parliament that Malema had met with Sitole at the SAPS College in Pretoria on December 10, 2020, where they hatched a plot to remove him.
“Such allegations can only be brought by a way of a substantive motion comprising of a clearly formulated and properly substantiated charge that in the opinion of the presiding officers prima facie warrants consideration by the House and, of course, such a motion would need to be considered in the relevant House, this being a joint sitting. I therefore ask honourable Cele to withdraw his statement about honourable Malema, Such allegations can only be made by way of a substantive motion,” Tsenoli said.
Cele withdrew his remarks.
During the debate on Monday Malema had challenged Cele to repeat the same comments outside the House where there was no parliamentary privilege.
But on Tuesday Tsenoli asked him to withdraw the allegation and Cele complied and withdrew it in line with the rules of parliament.
POLITICAL BUREAU