/ 6 May 2013

ANC rejects DA’s ‘no confidence’ motion for Mathale

Anc Rejects Da's 'no Confidence' Motion For Mathale

Democratic Alliance (DA) provincial legislature member Desiree van der Walt called for the debate in the legislature last week.

"The African National Congress views this as an incessant effort by the DA to undermine the legitimate ANC-led government in Limpopo," legislature caucus spokesperson Phuti Lekganyane said in a statement.

Mathale has been under fire since December 2011, when five provincial government departments were placed under administration because of corruption and gross violation of the Public Finance Management Act.

Mathale was stripped of his position as ANC provincial chairman when the national executive committee decided to disband the provincial executive committee last month.

A task team has since been put in place to run the party in the province.

Lekganyane said the DA's efforts to undermine the legitimate government in Limpopo had been thwarted for various reasons.

These ranged from Constitutional stipulations, to the provisions of standing rules and orders of the provincial legislature.

Provinical vote
He said the Constitution stipulated that the provincial legislature may remove the premier from office on the grounds of a serious violation of the Constitution or the law, or serious misconduct or an inability to perform the functions of office.

This had to be done with a supporting vote of at least two thirds of members of the provincial legislature.

"The DA only has two members in the provincial legislature out of a total of 49, and this sounds far-fetched," Lekganyane said.

"The ANC party caucus fully supports the ruling by the speaker that the motion does not satisfy the requirements of the Constitution."

"The issues raised by the DA as substance to the motion are not new and have been dealt with by the various institutions of state and the provincial legislature."

He said the ANC was not trying to sidestep any debate in the provincial legislature.

Lekganyane said the DA had implied it had the support of some members of the ANC party caucus to pursue the motion.

"These blatant lies are being peddled by the DA in its attempts to make the ANC to look disintegrated," he said. – Sapa