Cape Town - Parliament said on Tuesday that it is opposing the EFF’s urgent court bid to review and set aside its guilty verdict for contempt over the “pay back the money” fracas, and any other relief as the EFF also want Speaker Baleka Mbete removed from office.
“Parliament will oppose all relief sought in the application to the Western Cape High Court on behalf of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF),” it said.
This followed the filing of court papers for an urgent interdict by the EFF arguing not only for a review and setting aside of the powers and privileges committee report against 20 of its MPs, but also for Mbete to be removed from her job.
As neither the National Assembly, nor Mbete, had fulfilled their constitutional responsibility of holding the executive to account, the EFF asked for an order to start proceedings to remove Mbete.
“It is declared that Ms Baleka Mbete is not suitable to hold the position of Speaker of the National Assembly. The National Assembly is directed to take appropriate steps to initiate proceedings for the removal of Ms Mbete as Speaker of the National Assembly, forthwith,” said the EFF notice for an urgent interdict application
The legal battle is the latest development in a saga dating back to August 21. President Jacob Zuma’s question time in the House was abandoned after the EFF’s “pay back the money” rumpus, triggered when the party argued the president failed to respond to a direct question when, and how, he would repay at least some of the R215 million taxpayer-funded security upgrades at his Nkandla rural estate, as the public protector found in March.
Last Thursday, the National Assembly adopted the powers and privileges committee report finding 20 EFF MPs, including its leader Julius Malema, guilty of contempt of Parliament – and suspending without pay 12 of the 20 MPs for between 14 and 30 days, and ordering the rest to apologise and pay a fine equivalent of 14 days’ salary.
The report was adopted in the last sitting of the year with a vote of 210 for, 111 against and three abstentions, and the sanctions started on Friday when the EFF MPs were officially notified.
Last month the National Assembly adopted the Nkandla ad hoc committee report, which cleared Zuma in the Nkandla security upgrade spending debacle.
Political Bureau