National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.
- The ANC used its majority within the National Assembly to defeat a movement of no-confidence in Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.
- The movement, introduced by the EFF, was resoundingly defeated.
- DA MPs abstained from the vote.
The EFF’s no-confidence movement in National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has been defeated.
ANC MPs used their majority to brush off the movement as 234 voted towards the movement and a mere 42 voted in favour of it. A complete of 73 people abstained from the vote.
On Wednesday, the National Assembly debated the movement to take away Mapisa-Nqakula from workplace over her conduct through the State of the Nation Address (SONA).
EFF deputy chief Floyd Shivambu known as for a division which meant all votes from MPs needed to be recorded.
All ANC MPs voted towards the movement whereas the DA abstained.
The EFF is difficult Mapisa-Nqakula’s conduct through the chaotic proceedings throughout SONA and demanded an apology from her when fights between safety officers and EFF MPs broke out.
Red berets chief Julius Malema advised the National Assembly it was clear it was coping with an “unrepentant delinquent who abuses her power and violates the rule of the National Assembly and the Constitution”.
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“To intimidate peaceful Members of Parliament is not something we take lightly. Whenever the president is being held to account, she chooses violence. She chooses to abuse her powers, violate the Constitution and the rules of the National Assembly,” he mentioned.
ANC deputy chief whip Doris Dlakude mentioned the populist behaviour of some MPs was damaging to the discourse in Parliament.
“We must be clear that we have anarchists and agents of destruction in our midst who have manipulated this sacred place.
“These are enemies of the Constitution who demonstrated that they don’t respect the principles that governs this House. They have performed this for self-interest, for populist causes and misguided relevance,” she added.
Last month, Malema gave Mapisa-Nqakula 48 hours to publicly withdraw and apologise on behalf of the institution for the fracas between the party’s MPs and security forces during the SONA.
EFF MPs prevented President Cyril Ramaphosa from speaking for more than 30 minutes and stormed onto the stage.
They were eventually ordered to leave. The EFF believes Mapisa-Nqakula was irresponsible and acted unconstitutionally.
It is challenging Mapisa-Nqakula’s conduct during the SONA and that of Ramaphosa’s protectors.
Malema also claimed Mapisa-Nqakula referred to his fellow MPs as “animals”.
The DA’s deputy chief whip, Annelie Lotriet, said the no-confidence motion was no trivial matter.
“Such a movement can’t be confined to a single incident. The query we now have to ask on this movement, is whether or not that is enough floor,” she said, adding the DA would not support the motion.
According to Malema, Mapisa-Nqakula disregarded the Constitution which granted MPs the right to free expression when she suppressed MPs from raising points of order as permitted by the Joint Rules.
Malema argued Mapisa-Nqakula didn’t comply with the process outlined in Joint Rule 14GA for eradicating MPs from the chamber, “instead she relied on her emotions and her biases, which resulted in shameful violence against MPs”.
Furthermore, Malema additionally famous Mapisa-Nqakula didn’t act pretty and impartially in making use of the Joint Rules and guaranteeing the participation of members of all events in a way in step with democracy, however as an alternative allowed the usage of violent means.
