I have written to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, to request that Parliament resume immediately and that an urgent sitting of the House be scheduled at the very earliest opportunity.
The DA tabled a Motion of No Confidence in President Jacob Zuma – in terms of Section 102 of the Constitution – on 30 March. A debate on this crucial motion simply cannot wait and it should be scheduled for next week.
President Zuma dumped the whole country into an entirely avoidable crisis with his reckless decision to replace 15 members of Cabinet, including the Minister of Finance and his deputy, Pravin Gordhan and Mcebisi Jonas. This purging of his Cabinet, cowardly communicated via a media statement released late on 30 March, was done without offering a reasonable explanation and has only fuelled speculation about his motivations and intentions.
Parliament is empowered by the Constitution to exercise executive oversight and should do so now. It cannot be seen to be missing in action amidst this tempest. It is incumbent on the Speaker to call the people’s representatives back for an immediate sitting of the House.