ANC nominates Mapisa-Nqakula as next speaker of National Assembly

The ANC parliamentary caucus has nominated former minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, as the new speaker of the National Assembly.

This follows a caucus meeting on Tuesday morning that discussed the election of the new speaker, after National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise was appointed the new Minister of Defence and Military Veterans in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s reshuffled Cabinet.

Ramaphosa initially said Mapisa-Nqakula would be deployed to a new position.

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The ANC caucus meeting was called by ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina and ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe addressed the meeting.

“Former minister Mapisa-Nqakula brings a formidable wealth of experience to the new position with a solid track record as a legislator and policy maker spanning over a number of years,” Nomfanelo Kota, the acting ANC caucus spokesperson, said in a statement.

“As a gender activist, minister Mapisa-Nqakula has served as secretary-general of the ANC Women’s League as well as its president and member of the ANC National Executive Committee since the early 90s.”

Kota said the ANC caucus was gearing itself for the beginning of the third term of Parliament, which starts on the 16 August 2021, following the constituency period that saw MPs interacting with communities on their focus areas.

The deputy speaker of the National Assembly, Lechesa Tsenoli, has been acting in Modise’s position until Parliament elects a new speaker.

Parliament’s spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said last week a date for election of the new National Assembly speaker would be determined through consultations within Parliament, and with the Office of the Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.

According to Section 52 (2) of the Constitution, the chief justice must preside over the election of a speaker or designate another judge to do so.

“Should there be more than one nominee for the position of the speaker, there will be a vote by secret ballot,” Mothapo said.