Mapisa-Nqakula retreats on open ballot decision in motion of no confidence in Ramaphosa

National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has backtracked on her decision that voting will be open in the debate on two motions of no confidence in President Cyril Ramaphosa and his cabinet.

She has invited political parties to make submissions to her office on how voting should be carried out.

Mapisa-Nqakula announced on Thursday that the two motions — brought by the ATM against Ramaphosa and by the DA against the cabinet — will be debated on March 30.

She said voting would be done openly through party chief whips and there will be no secret ballot.

Her ruling was challenged by opposition MPs during the National Assembly’s programming committee meeting and some indicated they might take it on review.

The UDM’s Nqabayomzi Kwankwa said his party, which took former speaker Baleka Mbete to the Constitutional Court over a secret ballot vote in 2017, could not support an open ballot “on a matter as important as this”.

Kwankwa said if Mapisa-Nqakula was not prepared to hear submissions from parties that want a secret ballot they would seek a legal review of her decision.

DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone urged Mapisa-Nqakula to reconsider her stance, saying: “An open vote on an issue such as this would be concerning to many MPs and I don’t think it would be fair.

“At this stage, an open vote on something like this ... we might be wasting our time.

“We have a joke inside parliament on how long you are likely to stay around if you vote against your party line.”

Mazzone was backed by her deputy Siviwe Gwarube, who said if MPs voted through their chief whips, those who want to follow their conscience would be unable to vote for fear of reprisal.

ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina endorsed Mapisa-Nqakula’s view, saying the rules were clear; if an MP wanted to vote against his or her party the MP would be given the opportunity.

“We second your ruling that voting be open, where chief whips will vote on behalf of their members,” she said.

Mapisa-Nqakula ruled that those who have reservations about her ruling could make formal submissions.

“I did say I am ruling on the matter, but when issues were raised I said it’s OK, parties are free to make formal submission to the office of the speaker. Allow me to rule that those of you who have reservations about my ruling will make formal submissions,” she said.

Mapisa-Nqakula did not agree to the DA's request that cabinet members be excluded because of a possible conflict of interest.

“I have ruled that members of the executive will participate in the debate and the vote because they are first and foremost MPs before they are members of the executive.”

Gwarube said it made no sense that cabinet members, whose futures would be on the line, could vote for themselves.

“To allow the executive to vote for themselves in a motion that concerns themselves, it may be legally sound but it makes no sense and makes a sham of this process,” she said.

Mapisa-Nqakula insisted: “You can’t deny people the right to vote because the law allows them to do so. You are free to take the matter on review.”

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