The National Assembly (NA) has approved the two reports from the Powers and Privileges Committee which found ANC MP Mosebenzi Zwane and two EFF MPs Nazier Paulsen and Khanya Ceza guilty of contempt of Parliament. The reports recommended various sanctions against the three.
In the case of Ceza and Paulsen, they were charged after they were removed during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s oral reply session on 30 August 2022. The charge against Veronica Mente who was also removed from the House, was dropped.
Committee Chairperson Manketsi Tlhape brought the report on Ceza and Paulsen to the House for final approval with an objection from the EFF.
“The committee recommends that the National Assembly pose the following penalties with respect to the two following members. An order to apologise in person to the House to the President, the Speaker and the people of South Africa as determined by the House in terms of Section 12 (5) (C) of the House. And suspension of the members without remuneration for a period of thirty days, whether or not the House is scheduled to sit during that period, starting from the 1st to the 31st of March 2024 as set out in Section 12 (G) read with Section 12 (9) of the Act).”
Meanwhile, Zwane was slapped with more serious sanctions after he failed to present himself in the House last year on several occasions to tender an apology for breaching the ethical code of conduct.
The Powers and Privileges Committee recommended that he should apologise in person in the House. Half of his salary will also be deducted effectively from the 1st of March.
Committee Member Grace Tseke presented the report to the House.
“On the 12th of September 2023, the Speaker referred an alleged contempt of Parliament by Mr MJ Zwane to the Powers and Privileges Committee for investigation and report. This followed the failure of Mr Zwane to present himself to the House and enter an apology as required by a resolution of the House on May 2023. The resolution approved the report of the Joint Committee on Ethics and members interest which contained findings against Mr Zwane that he had contravened the code of ethical conduct of disclosure of member interest for Assembly.”
Both reports were endorsed by the Assembly with an objection from the EFF.
Some of the parties that supported the reports include the ANC, DA and IFP.
