The DA’s motion of no confidence in embattled National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe-Mapisa Nqakula will present a true test for the ANC’s much-hyped renewal.
Recent incidents, such as the voting against the establishment of a parliamentary committee that would look into the Phala Phala report, showed that there was nothing to get excited about insofar as the renewal project is concerned.
However, this time around, it is a lot different. The motion against Mapisa-Nqakula is set to take place on the eve of the crucial May 29 election. That will be on the minds of the ANC MPs when they vote on the motion. The party knows that voting in favour of a motion led by the official opposition party will be detrimental.
Mapisa-Nqakula’s woes did not begin yesterday. About three years ago, this newspaper group broke the story that as the then-minister of defence and military veterans, she had been accused of soliciting and accepting bribes amounting to more than R5 million from individuals doing business with her department. Nothing much came of that.
Then, suddenly, the issue re-emerged this year. This time, it was confirmed that she was being investigated.
The probe intensified when the National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate conducted a raid at her Joburg home. While maintaining her innocence, she placed herself on special leave and launched a court application to stop her imminent arrest.
The DA wants her gone and says she must either resign or be removed through a motion of no confidence.
“Anything less than that will be a mockery of Parliament and more importantly, South Africa,” contends the party. Whether that happens would depend on the ANC because of its majority in Parliament.
This places the spotlight on how serious the ANC is about its renewal. The party believes renewing itself includes removing the elements that taint Brand ANC. Of course, this latest saga will hurt the ANC. But the extent of the damage will depend on how it manages the situation.
If the removal of former public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane and, most recently, Judges John Hlophe and Nkola Motata are anything to go by, then Mapisa-Nqakula should be worried that her comrades might turn against her. Much is at stake.
Cape Times