RUSTENBURG - The motion of no confidence against North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo will be through an open ballot system, Speaker Sussana Dantjie said on Thursday.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) sponsored motion would be debated at the special sitting of the house on April 17.
"In making a determination on whether the ballot on the motion should be an open or secret ballot, I had to take into consideration all facts surrounding this motion and to ensure that members will be able to express their views without being subjected to undue influence, intimidation, fear of disapproval or anything like that," she said
She said it was not easy for her to arrive at the decision and that EFF could not share the reasons for requesting a secret ballot.
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"I take note of the fact that motion of no confidence in the premier is one of the available tools of oversight for members of the provincial legislature to hold the executive accountable. This avenue and many other processes of holding the executive accountable has always been practised in the legislature without any fear or favour.
"We have since 2014, when I took over as the speaker of the legislature, never experienced any situation where members of the legislature are obstructed, intimidated, threatened, disapproved or in any manner influenced to take decision or action that would somehow make it difficult for them to express their constitution mandate of playing oversight on the executive."
Mahumapelo was expected to survived the motion, after the African National Congress called on its MPLs (Members of the Provincial Legislature) to vote against the motion.