HUGH CORDER|
ON Thursday 19 August the members of South Africa’s National Assembly convened physically for the first time in a while. They met in several locations in parliament to achieve sufficient distancing in the pandemic. And there was only one item on the order paper: the election of a Speaker.
This was duly done and the former minister of defence, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, was elected to the office.
The Speaker in South Africa presides over proceedings in the National Assembly. They also are the titular head of parliament as a whole, including the National Council of Provinces. The Speaker is elected by a majority of members of the assembly, and may be removed in the same way.
The Speaker is responsible for providing political leadership and strategic direction to the National Assembly. And they should do so in a nonpartisan manner.
Why was this an important temperature check for the
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