By: Natasha Archary

A Motion of No Confidence against Speaker of the National Assembly Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will take place in Parliament.
This after Acting Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Lechesa Tsenoli accepted the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) request for Mapisa-Nqakula to be removed from office.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, 26 March the Acting Speaker confirmed that he has written to the Chief Whip of the Official Opposition, Ms. Siviwe Gwarube to accede the proposal for a Motion of No Confidence against Mapisa-Nqakula.
“On 21 March 2024, the Acting Speaker received a Notice of Motion from the DA Chief Whip proposing the removal of the Speaker from office, citing various allegations of improper conduct.
This proposal was made in accordance with Section 54(2) of the Constitution.
Section 54(2) of the Constitution states that the National Assembly may remove the Speaker or Deputy Speaker from office by resolution, with a majority of Assembly members present when the resolution is adopted.
This section is enacted through Rule 28 of the National Assembly Rules, which specifies that the House may remove the Speaker or Deputy Speaker from office by resolution, in accordance with Section 52(4) of the Constitution.
In line with the Rules of the Assembly, the Acting Speaker must give an approved motion under this rule due priority. Before scheduling it, he is also required to consult with the Chief Whip of the Majority Party as required by Rule 28(5).
A motion for the removal of the Speaker from office must comply, to the satisfaction of the Deputy Speaker, with the prescripts of any relevant law or rules and orders of the House, including directives and guidelines approved by the Rules Committee.”
The date of the motion will be announced following the consultation with the Chief Whip of the DA.
Calls for a Motion of No Confidence against Mapisa-Nqakula comes after an investigation brought to light that Mapisa-Nqakula allegedly accepted these bribes while moonlighting as Defence Minister.
The alleged transgressions reportedly took place between November 2016 and July 2019.
Amongst the allegations Mapisa-Nqakula faces, is the 70% salary increase that she now needs to explain authorizing for Parliament’s Secretary, Xolile George.
George’s annual salary increased from R2.6 million to R4.4 million in less than a year, which meant he earned more than President Cyril Ramaphosa following his appointment in June 2022.
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