High Court orders Speaker Qabathe to convene meeting of the Rules & Orders Committee

8 September 2016

The Free State Division of the High Court has ordered that the Speaker of the Free State Legislature, Ms Mamiki Qabathe, convene regular meetings of the Free State legislature Rules and Orders Committee. 

This order came as a result of the DA’s application to the court to compel the Speaker to convene such meetings. 

The last meeting before the application was lodged was more than a year and half ago on 11 February 2015. The DA was of the opinion that a number of important matters relating to the Free State legislature and its constitutional obligations required discussion by this committee. Since the agreement between the DA and the Speaker was ratified by a court order, a meeting of this committee was held on 26 August 2016 and another is scheduled for 9 September 2016.

The Speaker and the DA reached an agreement before the application was heard and she conceded to the DA’s demand that the agreement be made an order of the court. The order was ratified by Justice KJ Moloi on 1 September 2016. 

In terms of the court order, the Speaker has to convene a meeting of the Rules and Orders Committee at least once every quarter and that the rules of the legislature be amended to make provision for this going forward. Furthermore the agenda of the next meeting should consider all the matters referred to this committee, and that the Speaker would be responsible for the costs of the court application.

The DA will not allow the Free State legislature to become another arm of the Magashule regime in the province and will not hesitate to use the courts if all other internal remedies fail. The Free State Legislature is constitutionally mandated to hold the executive to account and, as the Official Opposition, the DA will ensure that this takes place. 

Issued by Roy Jankielsohn, Leader of the Official Opposition: Free State, 8 September 2016