Mantashe to address ANC caucus meeting on election of new speaker

The ANC caucus in parliament is expected to meet on Tuesday morning to discuss the election of the new speaker of the National Assembly.

This follows last week’s Cabinet reshuffle in which President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise as the new Minister of Defence and Military Veterans.

Modise was appointed the speaker after the 2019 general elections and previous served as the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces under the fifth parliament.

ALSO READ: Cabinet Reshuffle: Opposition questions why SA still has deputy ministers

Nomfanelo Kota, the acting ANC caucus spokesperson, confirmed to The Citizen on Tuesday morning the special meeting was called by chief whip Pemmy Majodina and would be addressed by ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe. The meeting was scheduled to start at 10am.

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

The other MPs who were appointed to Ramaphosa’s Cabinet included the chairperson of portfolio committee on social development Mondli Gungubele and chair of the portfolio committee on health Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo.

Gungubele was appointed the minister in the Presidency and Dhlomo as the deputy minister of health.

According to parliament’s spokesperson Moloto Mothapo, members of committees where vacancies have arisen will elect acting chairpersons from among themselves until new chairpersons are elected.

Mothapo said a date for election of the new National Assembly speaker will 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 in a statement.