An application by Agang SA, UDM and Cope to have National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete removed has been postponed until August by the Western Cape High Court.
“Before our application was to be heard [on Tuesday] the legal team of the Speaker submitted that they wanted the case to be postponed because they wanted to prepare,” Agang parliamentary leader Andries Tlouamma told News24.
They also wanted to time to allow interested parties to join the application.
He said the issue was of national importance and they wanted to proceed as scheduled, but the judge told them that other parties needed to be given a chance because this matter had dire consequences “because you do not want someone to say they didn’t prepare”.
“If we win this case it will obviously change most of the things particularly in Parliament,” he said.
Tlouamma said the case was not only about what he called Mbete’s “unfitness” to hold office, it also had an effect on the ANC because she is the party’s national chairperson.
It would also change the procedures pertaining to how the Speaker behaves, he said.
The case has been postponed to August 4.
Tlouamma said arguments would be heard then.
According to City Press the DA and EFF joined the UDM, Cope and Agang SA’s legal action asking the court to force Mbete to recuse herself.
However, the DA and EFF were not part of the legal process, but supported the matter in principle.
In December, Agang SA approached the court after Tlouamma, tabled a motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma.
Agang SA did not want Mbete to preside over the debate and wanted voting done by secret ballot.
The motion was scheduled from February but Mbete refused to recuse herself and the National Assembly rejected the secret ballot voting.
News24
