By Celani Sikhakhane
The Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) party’s last chance to take control of the KwaZulu-Natal government through Legislature committees failed when they staged a walkout, allowing the IFP, ANC, and DA to get the positions.
The incident took place on Tuesday when the Speaker of the House, Nontembeko Boyce, convened the sitting to elect chairpersons of committees.
The chairpersons form the most powerful structure in controlling government departments.
They hold MECs to account on every decision that is taken, including the spending of taxpayers’ money.
The rules of the Legislature state that a party that holds the majority has to elect chairpersons of committees.
In this case, MK is the majority party in the KZN Legislature.
But on Tuesday they decided to stage a walkout after they were not happy about the proceedings.
This led the GNU parties to help themselves freely to all portfolio committees as they elected their own members to take control.
The ANC took eight committees, the IFP seven and the DA five.
IFP Youth Brigade Leader in KwaZulu-Natal, Mncedisi Maphisa, said that despite the MK walkout they are glad that all political parties have prioritised young people.
“It is noted that young people across the GNU bloc were given an opportunity to take on critical committees as chairpersons. This is a turning point in a positive manner in the Legislature of KwaZulu-Natal as more young people of this province will be prioritised on their needs.
“They will also have hopes in public representing since they see more people of their age in critical roles of the provincial government and the Legislature,” said Maphisa.
On Tuesday the GNU almost lost the quorum after they realised that one of their members was absent.
This is when Boyce called security personnel to lock all the doors after the MK party walkout, in order to block other members who wanted to go to the toilets.
Pictured above: Newly-appointed chairperson of the Transport Portfolio Committee Mncedisi Maphisa and chairperson of Sports, Arts and Culture Sizophila Mkhize.
Source: X
