Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has refused a request by the ATM for a secret ballot in the motion of no confidence against President Cyril Ramaphosa.
She said the political environment was not toxic and that it would not allow for an open ballot to be held.
She said the country had recently held elections in November.
Ramaphosa had last Thursday delivered the State of the Nation Address in a free political environment where parties debated it for two days with the president replying to the debate on Wednesday.
Also acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo had already handed over two reports into state capture.
These and other factors had been taken into account by the Speaker on whether the environment was toxic or not.
“This has been the most important consideration. I am aware that political contestation exists within the governing party, of which the president is the national leader. It is not unusual for such tensions to exist in political parties. However, the court has emphasised that whether an open or secret voting mechanism is used, remains at the discretion of the Speaker. It stressed that the circumstances will dictate the decision, which suggests that both mechanisms are permissible,” said Mapisa-Nqakula.
She said the environment was not so toxified that MPs would be prevented from exercising their right in an open ballot.
“I’m not aware of any threats to the lives or property of any members of the Assembly resulting from their exercise of their duties as members of the Assembly, to lead me to the conclusion that the circumstances warrant a departure from the Constitutional foundation principles of openness and transparency,” said Mapisa-Nqakula.
She said the ATM had tabled the latest motion on Friday.
This came after the court made a ruling on the matter.
The ATM had taken Parliament to court to challenge then Speaker Thandi Modise’s decision to refuse a secret ballot in the motion of no ballot.
“The ATM had, in its latest letter, dated 11 February 2022, requested the Speaker to reconsider its request following the ruling of the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in December 2021. The SCA had set aside the previous decision of the Speaker to decline the request for a secret ballot on the proposed motion of no confidence due to the process followed in arriving at a decision,” said Mapisa-Nqakula.
The ATM had argued that the environment warranted a secret ballot.
But Mapisa-Nqakula said there was no need for a secret ballot.
She also said she will consider a motion of no confidence against the Cabinet by DA leader John Steenhuisen.
Steenhuisen tabled the motion during the debate on the State of the Nation Address.
POLITICAL BUREAU
