DA accused Mbete for protecting Zuma on impeachment

Mbasa Gqokoma

13 August 2015

The Democratic Alliance says on Wednesday, it received notice from the National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete that, its motion to impeach President Jacob Zuma is being blocked on the grounds that the High Court order the Executive contravened when they allowed Omar Al-Bashir to escape, is under appeal.

DA Chief Whip John Steenhuisen says this ludicrous argument is nothing more than a ploy to shield the president from impeachment, and safeguard the Executive from accountability.

Steenhuisen said Mbete is protecting President Zuma from accountability by parliament.

He said, “this is unacceptable and we will use every measure and ability to ensure that the motion is put in the order paper and then is debated by parliament.”

Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete is standing firm on her decision to block debate on the DA’s motion to impeach President Jacob Zuma.

She says the matter is sub judice as the government’s appealing the ruling.

 She says as a presiding officer, “I have exercised my own mind and I agree that it would be an untenable situation for this kind of issue, which is still before the courts, to be debated in the house and that’s the decision I have made.”