Issued by: Gauteng Legislature
The Speaker of the Gauteng Legislature, Mr Trevor Fowler, today said that the new Deputy Speaker would only be elected at the Sitting of the House on Thursday, following yesterday's resignation by National Party Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL), Mr Tom Gunning, after a request from the majority African National Congress caucus.
Mr Fowler said "this is a direct consequence of the National Party's recent and voluntary decision to withdraw from Government, which was in itself an affirmation and recognition of the growth and maturity of democracy in the Province, and indeed, throughout the country as a whole. It was also an expression of trust and confidence in the ability and capacity of the Constitution to protect and guarantee everyone's right to democracy. The new Deputy Speaker has not been chosen, and this will be done by secret ballot at the Sitting of the House on Thursday this week".
Regarding the Standing Committee Chairpersons who were appointed yesterday, the Speaker said "it is not abnormal in parliamentary democracy for the majority party to chair all Committees. The National Party will chair the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, which is universally and traditionally retained by opposition parties in parliaments. Some of the minority parties have always insisted that South Africa should extract mechanisms and procedures from western countries, and that is exactly what has happened. This is standard practice in the UK, USA, New Zealand and many other countries. It is perfectly conventional and consistent with universal standards. Moreover, in the Gauteng Legislature, minority parties have a voice which far exceeds their actual representation, in that they have been granted powers to control the quorum in Committee meetings".
"It is regrettable that some parties would discern a threat to multi party democracy when in fact it is guaranteed in the Constitution. The option of governmental unity was a concession from the majority party during the transitional phase, and transition does not occur in perpetuity".
MOEMISE MOTSEPE (Media Liaison Officer) (Issued by the Communication Department of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature). 26 June 1996