Parliament did not approve a court application to stop the Mail & Guardian publishing allegations of irregularities in the National Council of Provinces, it emerged on Wednesday.
”I mistakenly assumed that Parliaments’ presiding officers authorised this application. This was not the case,” said NCOP office manager Moroka Butcher Matutle.
SABC news had reported that the application was brought by NCOP chairperson Joyce Kgoali — the woman accused of failure to disclose interests.
However, Kgoali was out of the country at the time, said Matutle, so he took it upon himself to lodge an urgent application to stop the M&G from publishing the story.
This application was dismissed with costs at 3am on Friday — just in time for the weekly paper to continue distribution.
”In my understanding, I was acting on behalf of the institution whose image was being tarnished…. I had sounded them [Parliament’s presiding officers] out about possible actions to deal with the matter but they were not party to the final decision.
”The court decided that I must pay the costs,” he said. – Sapa