Cape Town - Former Western Cape legislature speaker Masizole Mnqasela says a legal kink that needed ironing out had prevented his lawyers from filing a court application challenging the DA’s termination of his membership.
Speaking to the Cape Argus on Tuesday, Mnqasela said as soon as the issue was sorted out the matter would proceed.
On Saturday December 3, Mnqasela’s attorneys wrote to the DA’s attorneys saying they had planned to launch the application by 11.30am on December 6, and proposed he would enrol the matter for “hearing in the fast lane” on Tuesday next week (December 13).
The lawyer's letter was in response to one from the DA’s lawyers in which the party said it had resolved to nominate a candidate for Speaker as a result of the provincial opposition ANC’s motion which was accepted by the legislature on Monday.
The letter said that if the case was filed and Mnqasela won his case, it would upset the legislature’s plans to elect a new speaker.
However, on Tuesday legislature spokesperson James Retief said Mnqasela’s case would not affect plans to elect a new speaker and that the legislature would not hold off on the process.
Leader of the provincial opposition Cameron Dugmore (ANC) on Monday tried to clarify – to no avail – during a debate on the election of a new speaker whether legal moves by Mnqasela might put a spanner in the works.
On Tuesday Dugmore said: “The DA is divided about who to elect as speaker. We know many do not want the current deputy speaker and favour Dan Plato. Then also they have the prospect of a court application against them by the former Speaker. Only time will tell.”
Meanwhile, DA spokesperson Richard Newton said: “We will await the court application and after reviewing it will respond accordingly.”
mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za