- JJ Tabane, Lukhona Mnguni and the NNM questioned Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula's candidacy for National Assembly Speaker.
- Mapisa-Nqakula was axed from Ramaphosa's Cabinet.
- With an ANC majority, Mapisa-Nqakula will likely be elected Speaker.
The soon-to-be Speaker of the National Assembly (NA), Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, is already causing a stir, hours before she is set to be elected to the highest seat of the national legislature.
eNCA show host Dr Onkgopotse JJ Tabane, political analyst Lukhona Mnguni and the New Nation Movement (NNM) have questioned Mapisa-Nqakula's impending election by serving an 11th-hour lawyer's letter to acting NA Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli.
The NNM spearheaded the electoral reform court processes, which paved the way for independent candidates to partake in national elections.
Mabuza Attorneys, acting on behalf of Tabane, Mnguni and the NNM, said a decision to elect Mapisa-Nqakula was reportedly imposed on members of the ANC caucus by, among others, ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe.
President Cyril Ramaphosa axed Mapisa-Nqakula from his Cabinet earlier this month and announced that she would be "deployed elsewhere".
"The actions of the president were widely welcomed by our clients because they believed that the removal and/or dismissal of Mapisa-Nqakula from the Cabinet was effected as a result of her long history of allegations of corruption and misgovernance, involving, inter alia, misuse of public funds and facilities, and nepotism, to mention a few.
"The Joint Standing Committee on Defence is currently and/or is contemplating conducting an inquiry into further allegations made by a whistleblower, implicating Ms Mapisa-Nqakula in further and specific corrupt activities," the letter read.
In the letter, it is further argued that individual ANC MPs failed to exercise the dictates of their consciences, in that they simply acceded to the instruction from Mantashe.
The letter read:
Last Tuesday, ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina called an urgent meeting of the ANC caucus "to discuss processes towards the election of the Speaker", with Majodina and Mantashe to address the caucus.
News24 understands that Mantashe made it clear that Mapisa-Nqakula was the ANC leadership's preferred candidate to become the next Speaker.
Tabane, Mnguni and the NNM have called for reasonable steps to prevent the holding of the ballot, "which, due to the allocation of members, will most likely result in the election of Mapisa-Nqakula as Speaker".
"In the event that the ballot is nevertheless held, which should not happen, that a secret ballot be held; and if the above demands are not met, to furnish us with reasons thereof. Failure to act as aforesaid may result in our clients approaching the court for appropriate relief," the letter read.
Parliament's spokesperson, Moloto Mothapo, told News24 the institution had not received the letter and confirmed, in a statement, that "the stage is set" for Thursday's sitting.
Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has designated Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe to preside over the sitting.
If there is more than one nomination, Hlophe will call for the voting process to be conducted by way of a secret ballot.
The DA plans to field a candidate for the position.
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