ATM’s secret ballot bid on Ramaphosa no-confidence vote declined

National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has rejected the request of the African Transformation Movement (ATM) to hold a secret ballot in Parliament.

This relates to the party’s motion of no confidence against President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The motion targeted Ramaphosa’s leadership in February 2020 over the sealing of his bank statements related to his 2017 campaign for the ANC presidency, among other things.

Court battle

The ATM had resubmitted their motion of no confidence application to Parliament following a ruling delivered by the Supreme Court of Apperl (SCA) in December 2021.

The party had been granted leave to appeal the Western Cape High Court’s judgement in the SCA.

The High Court previously ruled in favour of former National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise, who decided not to grant the ATM’s request to hold the no-confidence motion by way of a secret ballot.

ALSO READ: Open ballot for Ramaphosa no-confidence vote ‘defies logic’, says ATM president

The ATM then sought to have Modise’s decision reviewed and set aside.

However, the SCA found that Modise misunderstood her discretion on the secret ballot.

In its judgement, the appellate court ordered that the ATM’s request be resubmitted to the new Speaker of the National Assembly for reconsideration.

No political environment

ATM, which only has two seats in Parliament, wanted Mapisa-Nqakula to decide whether the no-confidence motion should be voted on through a secret ballot or by an open vote, which the Speaker has since declined.

Explaining her reasons behind the rejection, the Speaker indicated she did not believe a secret ballot would serve the interests of democracy.

Mapisa-Nqakula took a number of things into consideration including “the contestation amongst candidates” leading up to the ANC’s 55th ANC national elective conference in December, and other things.

“Speaker found nothing that suggest that violence or any other threat prevails at this time in respect of any of these circumstances, beyond what are normal tensions in a democracy,” Parliament Spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said in a statement on Wednesday.

READ MORE: ATM’s no-confidence motion in Ramaphosa to be voted on next week by open ballot

“The Speaker is satisfied that these factors do not lead her to conclude that openness and transparency should not prevail, as they are, in her view, events that do not point to a toxified and highly charged atmosphere, but rather events that can only take place if all systems are generally functioning within our constitutional democracy.

“Speaker reiterates that no political environment will be entirely free of political tensions, either between or within parties,” Mothapo continued.

Mothapo further said Mapisa-Nqakula would will request the Programme Committee to schedule the motion once the Speaker has concluded the consultations as “prescribed by the rules of the National Assembly”.

The ATM has already been informed of the Speaker’s decision.

“Yes, it’s true we have just received the letter this afternoon,” ATM spokesperson, Sibusiso Mncwabe told The Citizen on Wednesday.

Mncwabe also confirmed that the party’s leadership would meet to discuss the matter.

DA motion of no confidence

Meanwhile, Parliament also confirmed the receipt of vote of no confidence tabled by the Democratic Alliance (DA).

“The Speaker has also received a draft motion of no confidence in the executive, excluding the President, proposed by the leader of the official opposition. She is applying her mind on it and she will communicate her decision in due course,” Mothapo added.

The DA tabled its motion of no-confidence against Ramaphosa’s entire Cabinet this week.

During the State of the Nation Address (Sona) debate at the Cape Town City Hall on Monday, DA leader John Steenhuisen tore into Ramaphosa over his poor-performing ministers.

READ MORE: ANC doesn’t belong to DA, says Mantashe after motion of no confidence bid

Steenhuisen said a number of ministers have failed to perform their duties, which include Police Minister Bheki Cele, former State Security Minister Ayanda Dlodlo, Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula, Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel and Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu.

Additional reporting by Thapelo Lekabe and Narissa Subramoney