Winnie wants to silence Frene

2003-03-27 15:17

Cape Town - African National Congress MP Winnie Madikizela-Mandela will seek an urgent interdict in the Cape High Court to stop national assembly speaker Dr Frene Ginwala from publicly reprimanding her, her lawyer said on Thursday.

"The attitude of the speaker is very disappointing, but nevertheless we have been instructed to bring an urgent application to interdict parliament from implementing the recommendations against my client," said Votani Majola.

Lawyers were drafting court papers and the matter would be heard before April 2.

Ginwala has instructed Madikizela-Mandela to appear in the House next Wednesday to face a public reprimand.

If she fails to appear, Ginwala is on record as saying she will be rebuked in absentia.

In a brief statement, parliament's acting chief legal adviser, Dr Eshaam Palmer, said Madikizela-Mandela had been advised to appear on April 2 at 15:00.

Madikizela-Mandela was found guilty last year by parliament's joint ethics committee of failing to disclose donations and business interests in the register of members' interests.

Its recommendation that she be fined half a month's salary, and also be reprimanded by Ginwala, was endorsed by the national assembly in November 2002.

At a meeting of the assembly's rules committee this week, members from all parties said they abided by the resolution. Its implementation was now mainly of an administrative nature and was therefore in the Speaker's hands.

Ginwala told MPs that if Madikizela-Mandela did not appear, she would be reprimanded in absentia.

Madikizela-Mandela has applied to the Cape High Court for a review of the findings, and the procedural steps taken by the ethics committee.

The matter has been set down for April 14.

- SAPA