Parliament – Tuesday, 14 March 2023: The Speaker of the National Assembly Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is happy with an opportunity granted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to give the institution’s account on developments of the State of the Nation (SONA) day on 9 February 2023 at the City Hall in Cape Town.
The Speaker gave the explanation at the meeting of the IPU Standing Committee on Human Rights of Parliamentarians which considered a complaint submitted by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) following their booting out of the Parliamentary precinct on 9 February 2023. Speaker Mapisa-Nqakula was accompanied by the House Chairperson for Committees, oversight and ICT, Mr Cedric Frolick, the Chief Whip of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) Mr Narend Singh, the Secretary to Parliament Mr Xolile George, Secretary to the National Assembly Mr Masibulele Xaso and Special Adviser to the Speaker Ms Nogolide Nojozi.
Remarking after the meeting, Mr Cedric Frolick said the meeting went very well and trusted that the outcomes to be announced later by the committee would vindicate the stance of the South African Parliament, in respect of the appropriateness of the actions taken to restore order and enable the delivery of the State of the Nation Address.
The IFP Chief Whip also expressed satisfaction with how things panned out at the meeting on the SONA incident he described as shocking and appealed to political parties to exhaust the constitutional and legal provisions available in the country, including the scheduled vote of no-confidence debate later this month.
ISSUED BY PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
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