The Democratic Alliance has issued court papers against the Speaker of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL), Morakane Mosupyoe. The Speaker unconstitutionally decided to render the motion by Jack Bloom MPL to censure the MEC for Health inadmissible on the flimsiest of reasons. The Speaker prevented a fair and reasonable debate on the conduct of a MEC whose actions, particularly concerning the denial of treatment to cancer patients, are causing unnecessary harm and even death.
The DA’s founding papers can be found here.
This is a scandalous situation. The fact that the ANC contrives to block normal democratic processes is appalling. But the DA will not roll over. We will go to courts to stand for the rights of cancer patients and other Gauteng residents, whose livelihood is harmed by a dysfunctional and corrupt government. Premier Lesufi’s government is currently wasting taxpayers’ money appealing against a previous court decision to compel them to provide desperately needed treatment to cancer patients. This directly harms those patients and causes anguish to their loved ones, and the wasted money denies service delivery to the hard-pressed citizens of Gauteng.
Today, we are defending cancer patients and exposing whether the MEC is worthy of office. Tomorrow, it might well involve corruption and maladministration. Whatever the case, our constitution provides for robust debate in a legislature like the GPL.
This is not the first time that the ANC has behaved in this way and blocked DA motions. This is a routine ANC strategy. But in this case, the DA has considered that the matter is so egregious that we cannot stand by and allow ourselves to be painted into a corner of silence.
So, what we will do is continue to pursue this, declare the Speaker’s ruling unconstitutional, unlawful, and invalid, and have it reviewed and set aside, with appropriate declaratory relief, so that this motion can serve and that it be a precedent so that all other similar motions can come before the legislature so that any government, including Lesufi’s ANC government, will be held to account in the glare of public scrutiny. This would ensure less corruption, better government performance, and better service delivery to all citizens in Gauteng.
The DA Gauteng will continue to fight for accountability and service delivery. We urge the public to join us and express anger that Lesufi not only fails to act against an MEC found wanting but also silences those who would challenge him and seek to hold him accountable.