Cape Town - There is speculation among opposition members of the provincial legislature over whether or not the under-fire speaker Masizole Mnqasela will agree to a written request from the ANC.
The official opposition in the legislature wants to call an urgent meeting of the multiparty leadership forum to address “recent events”.
ANC caucus leader Cameron Dugmore has received acknowledgement of receipt of his letter from the speaker’s office. Questions to Mnqasela’s office about the meeting elicited no comment by the time of filing.
Dugmore’s letter said in part: “As these matters relate to the efficient operation of the Western Cape legislature, and the important functioning of such, I urge you to consider this request in the interest of good governance.”
Responding to queries about whether the DA would attend such a meeting if it was called, party chief whip Lorraine Botha said: “As per my knowledge, no multiparty forum meeting has been called by the speaker.”
ACDP MPL Ferlon Christians questioned the provincial government’s stability and asked: “What can the ACDP do to assist with the stability of the government?”
With regards to the multiparty leadership forum, Christians said he would be happy to attend such a meeting, if it was called, as so far everything he knew about the matter had been gleaned from the media.
Meanwhile Good MPL Shaun August said the DA’s move to investigate the speaker for alleged fraud and corruption relating to subsistence, travel and entertainment allowance claims had come as no surprise.
He said the DA’s 2018 congress resolutions brought forward the adoption of lifestyle audits on politicians and public servants and a minimum 15 year jail sentence should anyone be found guilty of abusing taxpayers’ money. “Speaker Mnqasela, a senior politician in the DA, falls within the ambit of this promise.”
August however said that the action against the speaker made him wonder why the DA was “fighting tooth and nail to protect councillor Nora Grose against damning evidence of alleged corruption of Covid-19 relief funds”.
He also wanted to know why the DA gave councillor Stag Cronjé a slap on the wrist for embezzling R350 million of taxpayers’ money and investing it in Old Mutual, but was happy to reveal alleged corruption by speaker Mnqasela.
He said the premier must inform the people of the province about how long they have known about this alleged misconduct and give more information on the charges.
“He must also tell taxpayers if their money will be used to fight internal DA political grandstanding.”
On Sunday Mnqasela said he had not been charged with anything and there was nothing that would warrant stepping aside from his post as speaker, however he was committed to cooperating with the investigation.