Parliament's presiding officers Baleka Mbete and Thandi Modise on Tuesday afternoon announced the postponement of the State of the Nation Address by President Jacob Zuma on Thursday. "We are listening to political stakeholders and members of the public in making this decision‚" Mbete told a hastily called press conference. Mbete also revealed that "we are in continuing discussions with the president of the ANC (SA deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa) as […]
National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete has handed a damning affidavit to President Jacob Zuma about allegations that a minister had tried to interfere in a state capture inquiry. Parliamentary public enterprises committee evidence leader Ntuthuzelo Vanara submitted the affidavit‚ claiming that state security minister Bongani Bongo had offered him a blank cheque to resign from the parliamentary probe into Eskom. “The president is acting on it as we speak and […]
Opposition parties have celebrated the Constitutional Court ruling that National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete has the constitutional power to prescribe a secret ballot in a motion of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma. UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said that his party has been vindicated and is pleased that members of parliament will now be "constitutionally free" to vote with their conscience. "The UDM is vindicated because we asked the Speaker […]
An application by the United Democratic Movement (UDM) for a vote of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma to be held by secret ballot has been set down for 15 April, Parliament said on Thursday. “Parliament has received further directions from the Constitutional Court regarding the application from the UDM for a secret ballot in the motion of no confidence in the President,” the national legislature said in a statement.” […]
The decision to vote out President Jacob Zuma in a no-confidence motion is a contested one, in which there is no "unanimity" even within the ANC and so should be held in secret, EFF leader Julius Malema has argued in court papers. The EFF and the Inkatha Freedom Party filed papers yesterday in support of the United Democratic Movement's application to the Constitutional Court for a secret ballot in the […]
Speaker Baleka Mbete and National Council of Provinces chair Thandi Modise should have taken much swifter action against the EFF and DA during the State of the Nation Address on Thursday. So says ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe‚ who accused the two of prolonging the mayhem in Parliament. Mantashe said the two presiding officers should have cut the chaos short. "All I said this week is that the presiding officers allowed […]
The DA has threatened to go to court on Friday after a powdery substance with effects similar to that of tear gas was used inside the National Assembly. The party said it will ask the court to review the actions of the government and speaker Baleka Mbete, after police officers and the army were deployed inside the parliamentary precinct. Thandi Modise apologised for breached security after the DA alleged tear […]
Democratic Alliance (DA) Chief Whip John Steenhuisen has expressed regret after a motion to debate the alleged politicisation of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has been declined. The DA submitted its proposed motion to Speaker Baleka Mbete. It comes after allegations that the NPA has become a political tool following its decision to prosecute Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan for fraud. Steenhuisen says the DA has received correspondence from Mbete declining […]
VOC became the first Muslim radio station in South Africa when a special events license was granted to the station in Ramadan/January 1995. Subsequent temporary broadcast licenses were granted, permitting the station to broadcast for 24 hours.
