Give Winnie one more day - DA

2003-03-25 15:52

Donwald Pressly

Cape Town - The official opposition Democratic Alliance called on Tuesday for the axing of African National Congress Women's League president Winnie Madikizela-Mandela as a member of parliament if she does not report to it by Wednesday.

DA chief whip - in a motion to the National Assembly - said: "Noting that the Honourable Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has failed to present herself for the purpose of being disciplined by the speaker... and noting that the decision of the house to reprimand and discipline (her) was taken last year and that she is in contempt of the house...

"(That parliament) therefore resolves that the Honourable Madikizela-Mandela be given one further day within which to attend parliament, failing which her party (the ANC) should be requested to remove her as an MP," suggested Gibson.

Madikizela-Mandela, who is a former deputy arts and culture minister, has evaded a public reprimand by speaker Frene Ginwala, who said last week that she should appear at a sitting of the National Assembly by March 24 - which was Monday. This was based on a 10-working-day formula.

The speaker has not commented on whether it would be unwise to proceed with plans to reprimand Madikizela-Mandela, who goes to court on April 14 in an action against Parliament.

She wants the court to rule she was not given a fair hearing by parliament's ethics committee who last year found her guilty of contravening parliament's code of conduct for not declaring donations and income from the Mandela family museum.

- I-Net Bridge (Business)