The official opposition has withdrawn its motion calling for an inquiry into the fitness of Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane only to submit a fresh one.
This was revealed on Tuesday by parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo four days after the DA made its submission of evidence for the pending inquiry.
Mothapo said National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise received correspondence from DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone advising of the withdrawal of her motion proposing that proceedings be started to remove Mkhwebane from office.
Mothapo said Mazzone has submitted a new motion on the same matter last Friday.
The parliamentary rules and the constitution allow any member of the National Assembly to submit a substantive motion to initiate a procedure to remove the holder of a public office.
Mothapo said the parliamentary rules also allowed an MP who has given notice of a motion to withdraw it at any time before being called upon to move the motion in the National Assembly.
"The withdrawal of the DA’s motion, which was tabled in December 2019, means that the attendant process that subsequently ensued, which includes the establishment of an external panel of experts to conduct a prima facie assessment of the motion, falls away," he said.
The withdrawal of the earlier motion happened when Modise was in the process of selecting qualified persons to serve on the panel, and was due to announce their names by the end of the month.
"The Speaker will now apply her mind to the new motion, to determine if it meets the requirements provided for in the rules of the Assembly, and make a fresh decision.
"The rules provide that if the motion meets the requirements, the next step would be to establish an independent panel of experts to make a preliminary assessment of the motion," Mothapo said.
"The panel members, who are nominated by political parties and appointed by the Speaker, must be three fit and proper South Africans who, collectively, have the legal and other skills and experience to do this assessment."