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The DA has today written to the Chief Whip of the Free State Provincial Legislature, Neels van Rooyen, seeking immediate clarity on our request to convene a special sitting of the Legislature to debate and vote on a motion of no confidence in Premier Ace Magashule. See letter here.

This follows after Chief Whip Van Rooyen’s spokesperson, Phiwe Mathe, has reportedly claimed that convening an urgent meeting of the Multi-Party Whips Committee is “not feasible” citing the programme of Parliament and the Legislature as not allowing time for such a meeting and that this is another “frivolous motion” brought by the DA.

We reject the assertion that the motion of no confidence in Premier Magashule is “frivolous” with the contempt that it deserves. The sustained poor governance in the Free State and the looting of the provincial fiscus under Premier Magashule’s leadership is very serious indeed.

This approach appears to be an attempt by the ANC to protect the Magashule and Gupta empire, which has allegedly robbed poor black famers and the people of the Free State of millions if not billions of rands.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind Chief Whip Van Rooyen that it is the Multi-Party Whips Committee and the Programming Committee, of which we are both members, who plan and finalise the programme of the Legislature.

Furthermore, affecting changes to the programme is a general occurrence and there is no reason, apart perhaps from a party political reason by the ANC, why a meeting of the Multi-Party Whips Committee cannot be called for immediately.

Just this week Parliament postponed the Joint Sitting to hear the State of the Nation Address.

It is unacceptable that the Office of the Chief Whip unilaterally decides what business before the Legislature is indeed feasible or not.

The Leader of the Official Opposition, Dr Roy Jankielsohn (MPL), wrote to the Speaker, Mamiki Qabathe, the Chief Whip and the Secretary of the Legislature, motivating for the urgent need to convene a special sitting to debate and vote on the motion of no confidence in Premier Magashule without any further delay.

The DA’s arguments are supported by judgements of the Constitutional Court and the Western Cape Division of the High Court that a motion of no confidence is urgent and must be dealt with as such.

We urge Chief Whip Van Rooyen to clarify his position and await his urgent response to our letter failing which the DA reserves its rights in this matter.

Issued by DA