National Assembly Speaker declines request for a secret ballot on Phala Phala report.

National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has declined a request for a secret ballot to be used during voting on the Phala Phala report.

The African Transformation Movement, UDM, ACDP and PAC had asked Mapisa-Nqakula to reconsider her decision and allow a secret ballot when MP’s vote whether to start impeachment proceedings against the president on Tuesday.

The African National Congress (ANC), on the other hand, wrote to the Speaker requesting that she affirms her earlier decision.

The report found that President Cyril Ramaphosa may have violated the constitution and breaches anti-corruption laws in his response to the burglary at his Limpopo farm.

Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo says the speaker does not believe an open ballot will prevent any MP from voting with their conscience.

“She stressed the importance of ensuring due regard to an environment of accountability and at the same time maintaining transparency and openness.

“The speaker said the parliamentary environment is always a highly politicised space and can never be entirely free of political tensions, either between or even within parties. 

“The speaker has also noted concerns about potential vote-buying, and it was her view that this could be facilitated by a cloud of secrecy."

 

Done By: Mitchum George