Johannesburg – The election of former Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is facing a possible legal challenge and resistance from opposition parties.
Media personalities JJ Tabane and Lukhona Mnguni are among a group of citizens, along with non-profit organisation the New Nation Movement, threatening legal action should the National Assembly go ahead tomorrow and elect Mapisa-Nqakula.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, when reshuffling his Cabinet, a fortnight ago, announced that the ANC would deploy Mapisa-Nqakula as the Speaker of the National Assembly (NA).
Representing Tabane and others, Mabuza Attorneys have written to the Acting Speaker of the NA, Lechesa Tsenoli, arguing that Mapisa Nqakula was not fit and proper for the position.
“The actions of the president were widely welcomed by our clients because they believed that the removal and/or dismissal of Ms Mapisa-Nqakula from Cabinet was effected as a result of her long history of corruption and misgovernance involving, inter alia, misuse of public funds and facilities and nepotism, to mention a few,” the lawyers said.
“The Joint Standing Committee on Defence is currently and/or is contemplating conducting an inquiry into further allegations made by a whistle-blower implicating Ms Mapisa-Nqakula in further and specific corrupt activities,” they added.
Last week, ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe told the party’s caucus in Parliament that as the top six leaders of the governing party, they wanted Mapisa-Nqakula to replace Modise.
Tabane and others have accused Ramaphosa of conflating his role as the state president and ANC president when making the announcement on Mapisa-Nqakula.
A ballot should not be held to elect Mapisa-Nqakula or a secret one should apply in the event voting goes ahead, Tabane and others argued, charging to be furnished with the reasons should their demands be not met.
“Failure to act as aforesaid may result in our clients approaching the court for appropriate relief,” the citizens said.
Meanwhile, the EFF said it was not going to participate in the election of the Speaker of National Assembly tomorrow, saying the exercise was to rubber-stamp factional politics of the ANC.
“We have to take this extraordinary step because it
is evident now that Ramaphosa is hellbent on undermining the separation of powers,” a statement of the party reads.
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