By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula says the party is planning to deal with the National Assembly speaker matter on Monday, and they remain confident that it is not going to affect voter confidence as it prepares for the May 29 elections.
Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has launched an urgent interdict to stop her arrest over the corruption probe against her.
She’s accused of soliciting a bribe from a defence contractor amounting to millions of rands during her tenure as Defence Minister.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s Investigating Directorate conducted a search and seizure operation at her home Johannesburg on Tuesday.
The speaker has taken special leave from Parliament, the validity of which has been questioned by opposition, and committed to working together with authorities.
Speaking on the sidelines of the ANC’s elections campaign even in the Eastern Cape Mbalula remarked on reports Mapisa-Nqukula was arrested.
“The Speaker has written to me, she has also engaged with me and the President. She has taken me into confidence in terms of what is happening in as far as those issues that have been reported.
“But one of the things that are striking out of that briefing is that there is no warrant or any summons that has been served on the Speaker for her arrest, as it has widely been reported.”
He, however, says Mapisa-Nqakula would have to face party processes relating to the corruption allegations levelled against her like any other member of the ANC.
“She will face the law. As far as the party is concerned, the ANC is very clear that you step aside to face those accusations and charges that you are facing as an individual.”
Mapisa-Nqakula denied Investigating Directorate (ID) claims that she had agreed to appear in court on corruption charges – and accused the State of trying to set up a “photo shoot in the dock to humiliate me”.
At the same time, opposition parties have called for the Speaker to resign.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) said since Mapisa-Nqakula has not voluntarily stepped down, they believe their hand was forced into filing a motion of no confidence against the National Assembly Speaker.
DA Chief whip in Parliament Siviwe Gwarube said they would request other political parties to support the motion.
“The announcement that she has taken ‘special leave’ not resigned has left us with no choice but to submit a formal motion of no confidence to be debated and voted on before the House rises and the expiration of this term,” she said.
“We will be writing to all political parties represented in Parliament to support our motion for the removal of the Speaker in terms of Section 52(4) of the Constitution.”
Legal analyst Advocate Malose Monene said Mapisa-Nqakula has a right to file an interdict to restrain possible arrest because, for now, she’s innocent until proven guilty.
Monene said, “The application to interdict the arrest is simply saying, Okay, I can face my charges, but my attendance in court can be secured by other methods which are available under the Criminal Procedure Act. “Arrest should be the last resort in terms of securing an accused person’s attendance in court. Is it necessary in these circumstances, or is it for the optics of the media and everybody else to see we’ve arrested the Speaker?