Johnathan Paoli
The DA is considering whether to bring a motion of no confidence against National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, in light of reports that she’s under criminal investigation for bribery, while the EFF calls for her removal.
DA chief whip Siviwe Gwarube said on Monday, following the speaker’s denial of the allegations, that what was of particular concern was that there may have been undue delays on the part of authorities to act against Mapisa-Nqakula, and that since her appointment in 2021, there have been misgivings about her suitability for the job.
“Surely she should take the nation into her confidence and we should be able to see somebody who’s saying ‘I will fall on my sword’ because I can’t be the head of the legislative arm of the state and have these grave allegations hanging over my head,” Gwarube said.
Gwarube said reports of delays in the law taking its course against Mapisa-Nqakula are also deeply concerning, and that her party was looking at the independence of the NPA which is meant to be sacrosanct, and then looking at potentially the President or high-ranking leadership of the ANC dabbling into the work of the law enforcement agencies.
The Red Berets on the other hand said that it was appalled by the damning reports, implicating the Parliament Speaker in a reprehensible cash bribery scandal and said such revelations strike at the core of the nation’s democratic principles and demanded her immediate removal from office pending the conclusive outcomes of these investigations.
The EFF made a statement on Monday with party spokesperson Sinawo Thambo saying that such blatant disregard for ethical conduct and the rule of law cannot be tolerated.
“It is inconceivable that such flagrant abuse of power could occur without the knowledge or complicity of those in leadership positions, and President Ramaphosa’s feigned ignorance only highlights his general incompetence and inability to govern effectively,” Thambo said.
Thambo said it was far more plausible that Ramaphosa and his faction were fully cognisant of these corrupt dealings and opted to leverage them as a tool to coerce compliance in their effort to suppress dissent within Parliament, utilising Mapisa-Nqakula’s position to their advantage.
Mapisa-Nqakula’s tenure as Speaker served to protect Ramaphosa and his allies at the expense of the South African people, and that now that her usefulness to the ruling elite has waned and the 6th Parliament nears its end, she is being exposed and discarded, Thambo said.
He said the EFF Parliamentary Caucus will report the Speaker to the Parliamentary Ethics Committee so that she is held accountable for her taking bribes and will closely monitor the work of the Ethics Committee in this regard because the ruling party has been using it as an instrument to fight political battles.
“It is time to rid our Parliament of a corrupt majority that has repeatedly obstructed efforts to hold the government accountable, contributing to the dire state of our country,” Thambo said.
Monday was the deadline for the Speaker to explain to the ethics committee what her role has been in secretly hiking the salary of the secretary to Parliament, however she has vehemently exclaimed her innocence and said she would cooperate with an investigation.
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