The African Transformation Movement (ATM) wants a secret ballot to be used in voting on the Section 194 Committee recommendation for the removal of the suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
The ATM leader Vuyo Zungula has written to the National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on the issue.
Mkhwebane’s fate is expected to be decided on Monday next week, at the City Hall using an open voting system.
The committee’s report which recommended the removal of Mkhwebane will be brought for debate and the assembly’s final approval.
In terms of Section 194 of the Constitution, at least a two thirds majority vote is needed to remove a Public Protector from office.
Zungula says the Section 194 process has from its inception been characterised by a politically predetermined outcome on various grounds.
He says voting is now open to secret as the complaint against Mkhwebane was laid by or on behalf of the second largest political party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), with a support of largest party the African National Congress (ANC) as well as the Freedom Front Plus (FF+).
He says the ANC has 230 MPs while the DA has 84 and the FF-Plus has ten members.
Zungula says therefore the DA, ANC and FF-Plus have 327 members which is more than the sufficient requirement of 267 MPs to vote for the removal of a Public Protector.
Zungula says the ANC notoriously use the party line method to coerce its members to vote for the DA motion to remove Mkhwebane from office.
Adv. Busisiwe Mkhwebane convinced her suspension is over
