Johannesburg – The Speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, has received a new request from the African Transformation Movement (ATM) for a motion of no confidence in the President of the Republic to be conducted by way of a secret ballot.
The ATM’s motivation draws parallels with the factors that prevailed in 2017 when the Constitutional Court (Concourt) delivered its judgment on the United Democratic Movement’s (UDM’s) call for a secret ballot.
The Concourt directed that a secret vote becomes necessary where the prevailing atmosphere is ‘toxified or highly charged’.
The ATM has argued in their submission to the Speaker, that a closed ballot is the only rational possibility in the prevailing circumstances.
Mapisa-Nqakulais expected to decide and announce her decision in due course.
Last week’s Supreme Court of Appeal judgment affirmed the powers of the Speaker to decide the best mode or procedure of voting by Members of the National Assembly, as she deems appropriate, informed by the prevailing context.
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