DA to vote against EFF’s motion of no confidence in Thoko Didiza
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has announced that it will vote against the EFF’s motion of no confidence in National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza because her removal would be “premature.”
The vote was scheduled for Wednesday, 26 August from 14:00.
In the motion, EFF leader Julius Malema accuses Didiza of failing to defend Parliament, citing her decision not to oppose President Cyril Ramaphosa’s successful court application to temporarily interdict the Phala Phala impeachment’s public hearings.
He also accuses her of misleading the public, taking a decision of “profound constitutional significance” without consulting the National Assembly, and failing to act independently and impartially.
DA Parliamentary Leader George Michalakis said that while the party has previously criticised Didiza’s handling of the impeachment proceedings, they do not believe that removing her is the correct way to strengthen Parliament.
The DA believes that removing the Speaker at this stage would be premature and would not be the right way to strengthen Parliament. We have engaged with the Speaker on our concerns regarding the leadership and institutional effectiveness of Parliament, and we have agreed on a number of areas for reform.
The motion is the first of its kind against Didiza since she took office two years ago.