The National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakulu has declined the African Transformation Movement (ATM) request to postpone a motion of no confidence in President, Cyril Ramaphosa pending the outcome of its court challenge over the decision to conduct the motion by an open ballot.
Democratic Alliance (DA) has moved a motion of no confidence in the President, while ATM has moved a motion of no confidence in the Cabinet.
Both motions will be voted in the National Assembly at 2 p.m.
The Speaker said she had given ATM until 1 p.m. on Tuesday to explain their decision in light of her instruction.
However, she indicated that the party had not responded by the deadline.
ATM head of policy, Mzwanele Manyi, said the Speaker is insisting on a fake open ballot in violation of Rule 89 of the National Assembly Rules which prohibits debates on matters in litigation before courts.
“The ATM will not participate in that sham. The Speaker will have to move the no-confidence motion herself,” said Manyi.
The Speaker said she informed the ATM that she could not grant their request unilaterally since the National Assembly Programming Committee has the authority to postpone issues on the Assembly’s schedule.
ATM head of policy, Mzwanele Manyi, said the Speaker is insisting on a fake open ballot in violation of Rule 89 of the National Assembly Rules which prohibits debates on matters in litigation before courts.
“The ATM will not participate in that sham. The Speaker will have to move the no-confidence motion herself,” said Manyi.
Meanwhile, the DA believes it obtained evidence during parliamentary question-and-answer sessions in preparation for the motion of no confidence debate.
According to DA, ordinary South Africans have suffered due to President Ramaphosa’s cabinet spending more than R20 million on petrol and brand-new luxury cars for Ministers and Deputy Ministers over the previous three years.
Minister and Deputy Ministers drive around in luxurious supercars while electricity, fuel, and food prices skyrocket.
The DA said the latest Statistics South Africa report showed that staple food prices such as bread and maize more than doubled in January. The party said this raised fears about spiralling out of control, prompting the Reserve Bank to hike interest rates by 25 per cent
DA MP., Leon Schreiber said StatsSA said transport prices to South Africa rose by 14 percent last year, and some experts had forecast oil prices to hit R40 a litre soon.
“As a result, fuel and food prices have increased due to the adverse conditions of the COVID-19 lockdown, compounded by ongoing corruption, and mismanagement of taxpayers’ money,” Scheiber said.
He said President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet has plunged more people into poverty, starvation, and unemployment than at any other time in South Africa’s history.
“There is a segment of South Africans that is unaffected, while all other citizens suffer the cost of living at taxi ranks, petrol stations, and supermarkets,” Schreiber said.
“Over the past three years, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet has wasted over R20 million public purse on petrol and luxurious vehicles for ministers and their deputies.
Many of these new vehicles cost more than the R700, 000 budget limit imposed by the Ministerial Handbook of November 2019.”
He said each Minister and Deputy Minister is given a luxurious vehicle to use in Pretoria and Cape Town, courtesy of the South African taxpayer, according to the Handbook.
“All of these vehicles require fuel, maintenance, tyres, and toll gates, all paid for by South African taxpayers.
Since 2019, taxpayers have spent around R19 million on 24 brand-new vehicles for the Ministers and their Deputies.”
According to Schreiber Fikile Mbalula, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Pravin Gordhan, Tito Mboweni, Maite Nkoane-Mashabane, Joe Phaahla, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, and Khumbudzo Ndaveni are among the names.
As poverty, starvation, and misery were everywhere, everyone bought fancy wheels.
The average price for 24 vehicles was R789, 736, which exceeds the limit set in the Ministerial Handbook.
Schreiber claims ANC Cabinet has spent over R1 million since 2019 on fuel and maintenance of top-of-the-range government vehicles for Ministers and Deputy Ministers.
This is despite South Africa being under lockdown for the past three years with travel restrictions.
In the most shocking case of all, said Schreiber the Department of Human Settlements paid almost R3 million in March 2019 – more than a year into the Ramaphosa administration – to buy two Audi S8 supercars for former Minister Nomaindia Mfeketo and her then deputy. Zou Kota-Fredericks.
“The duo was later sacked and the cars were probably used by Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and his deputy Pam Tshwete to race through traffic from one luxury shopping mall to another.”
Schreiber said as the vehicle of choice for ANC petrolheads, Audi continues to lead the way with eight luxury models ranging from the S8 to A6 and Q5. Volvo was next with three XC60s and two XC40s, followed by Lexus, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz brands.
Minister and Deputy Minister spent over R700, 000 on luxury vehicles in 11 different periods, exceeding the legal limit set by the Ministerial Handbook.
He said although the Finance Minister has the power to raise this limit, it will remain so until November 2020, if not longer.
Be First to Comment