Malatsi takes MP fight to court

2003-04-09 14:40

Cape Town - Ousted deputy social services minister David Malatsi has gone to court in a bid to force the New National Party to make him a member of parliament.

He claimed in papers before the Cape High Court on Wednesday that he had a legitimate expectation to the seat because the NNP promised it to him.

Malatsi - who was not in court in person - resigned from the deputy minister's post after his name was publicly linked to an alleged R100 000 kickback from the developers of the Roodefontein Golf Estate at Plettenberg Bay.

He is out on R10 000 bail after appearing on corruption charges.

Malatsi was appointed deputy minister directly from the Western Cape legislature in November last year after the NNP and the African National Congress signed a co-operation agreement.

NNP claims he is not 'in good standing'

He claimed an NNP promise of a seat in the National Assembly played a major role in his resignation from the deputy minister's post.

However, the NNP has denied this, saying in an affidavit that Malatsi failed to meet conditions set by party leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk on the timing of his resignation.

It also denied his claim that he was an NNP member in good standing, pointing out he had been suspended from the party and had made a series of "defamatory allegations" against it since then.

It also said there were three other people ahead of Malatsi on the party's Western Cape list for the National Assembly.

Counsel for Malatsi and the NNP are arguing the case before Judge Siraj Desai.

- SAPA