Party’s request for secret ballot denied
THE hopes of the African Transformation Movement ( ATM) for a secret ballot when Parliament votes on the motion of no confidence in President Cyril Ramaphosa next Thursday have been dashed.
This comes after National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise yesterday turned down their request for a secret ballot, saying there would be an open ballot as the ATM has not offered any evidence of a highly charged atmosphere of any members in the motivation for their request.
Modise made the decision hours after she agreed to the ATM’S request for a debate on a motion of no confidence in Ramaphosa.
In a motion tabled in February, ATM leader Vuyo Zungula alleged that Ramaphosa had misled the country when he said there would be no load shedding between December 17, 2019 and January 13.
Zungula had also listed alleged failure by Ramaphosa to act against Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and the Eskom board
for assuring him that there would be no load shedding during the period, only for the dreaded power blackouts to return a few days into the new year.
Other grounds in Zungula’s motion included the R500 000 donation made by the late Bosasa chief executive Gavin Watson for his presidential candidate campaign to be ANC president.
Yesterday, National Assembly secretary
Masibulele Xaso informed the programme committee that Modise had approved the request to debate the motion. “There has been a request from the ATM for a motion of no confidence in the president that came through several months ago. The Speaker has approved that request and our recommendation is that it be dealt with next Thursday,” Xaso said.
But parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said the motion would be debated and voted on in a hybrid sitting of the House through an open ballot.
“A request by the ATM to have the motion voted on by way of a secret ballot was declined by the Speaker,” Mothapo said.
He also said Section1( d) of the Constitution sets “openness” as a fundamental principle for our democracy.
“The Constitutional Court has indicated that a secret ballot becomes necessary where the prevailing atmosphere is toxified or highly charged. The Speaker found that the ATM had not offered any evidence of a highly charged atmosphere of any members in the motivation for their request.”