Cape Town - Embattled Western Cape legislature Speaker, Masizole Mnqasela, has remained mum with the DA giving him until Tuesday to reapply for membership after the party terminated it.
According to DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille, Mnqasela had cessated his membership to the DA by disparaging remarks he made about the party or decisions of its structures.
“Masizole made these statements over the weekend. They are in violation of the terms of the cease and desist letter sent to him by the Fedex, she said.
“Masizole has until 10am on Tuesday to reapply for membership to the DA,” Zille said.
Spokesperson in the office of the Speaker, Sisonke Mlamla, said on advice of counsel the office would not make any comment on the matter yet.
Mnqasela held a media briefing at the legislature on Sunday, where he addressed allegations that led to a motion of no confidence being filed by the party against him.
Caucus leader Alan Winde had said: “In accordance with section 20(4) of the constitution of the Western Cape 1997, a motion expressing that the house has lost confidence in the Speaker of the house was submitted on November 25, 2022.
“The motion is submitted in light of serious allegations of misconduct against the Speaker which are material to the code of ethics for members of the executive authority, and the Speaker’s functions. The motion is to be debated and put to the vote in the house.”
However, Mnqasela labelled the motion as strange, saying there was no complaint before the House against him as Speaker from the DA, and that it came while he was in a disciplinary process with the party.
He said the DA motion was worded as though there had been a decision by the legislature to remove him from office.
Mnqasela, a senior DA member, was suspended from all party activities in May following allegations of fraud and corruption.
This relates to subsistence, travel and entertainment allowance claims he had made.
“The DA charged me and I have been sitting in the federal legal commission (FLC) disciplinary hearing since October.
“While I was in the disciplinary hearing on Friday with the FLC, I was told about another motion that seeks to remove me as the Speaker based on a matter that I’m still appearing for,” said Mnqasela.
Cape Times