DA: Speaker should step down

2004-08-30 07:00

Gert Coetzee

Cape Town - The position of National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete is in contention after allegations about her involvement in the parliamentary travel scandal.

The opposition has requested she be removed from her position until her innocence has been proven.

Meanwhile, it seems that the 19 African National Congress MPs who were supposed to contact the Scorpions before August 19 have not yet done so. This has caused a delay in the investigation into the travel scandal.

On Sunday, the Democratic Alliance asked why the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has not arrested the ANC MPs.

Delay tactics

The five other named MPs, all members of other parties, have reported to the Scorpions.

"The Scorpions must guard against the impression that their failure to act may be interpreted as obedience to the ANC's political interests," said DA chief whip Douglas Gibson.

NPA spokesperson Sipho Ngwema told the newspaper the 19 MPs are using delaying tactics.

Gibson said allegations about Mbete's involvement in the travel scandal create an impossible conflict of interests that could damage the office of the speaker.

"There are allegations of unbecoming behaviour against her, while she has to act as chair of the investigation into the travel scandal."

"She is in possession of the forensic report and refused to publish it; she rather released bits and pieces of it."

"All these things force her to vacate her position until she has been vindicated. She is obviously innocent until proven guilty, but it's important to see that the speaker and Parliament do the right thing," Gibson said.

The Sunday Times reported that Mbete is alleged to have used travel coupons to pay a flight ticket for her daughter from China to Hong Kong.

According to the newspaper, Mbete is also alleged to have used R20 000 worth of travel coupons to pay for vehicles she hired in conflict with the parliamentary guidelines.

Mbete denied that any infringement took place. She did take her daughter along on official visit in 2001, but she paid her daughter's flight ticket from her own pocket, she said.

The Sunday Times also reported that a former DA member of the National Council of Provinces, Antoinette Versfeld, allegedly used travel coupons to the value of R117 786 over the past three years to pay for accommodation, vehicle hire and air tickets for herself and "advisers", who were not government officials.

Versfeld, who is currently on vacation in a foreign country, refused to comment.

Gibson said Versfeld, who no longer falls under his jurisdiction, has to answer the allegations herself.

"The DA's position remains that MPs or former MPs must not get special treatment but must receive equal treatment."

- Die Burger