How the EFF plan to remove David Mabuza from his Parliamentary duties

David Mabuza, the second-most powerful politician in the country, may not have the capabilities of dealing with questions in Parliament. That’s according to the EFF, who look set for a surprise victory in the National Assembly. The Sunday Times have reported there are already divisions in the ANC’s camp on this one, too.

The Red Berets have tabled a motion which aims to limit the amount of time Deputy President Mabuza spends at the Parliamentary Q&A sessions. In his role as Cyril Ramaphosa’s right-hand man, the elected official is tasked with fielding queries the opposition have about ANC policy and progress.

Why David Mabuza is being asked to stand aside by the EFF

However, he’s had a terrible time of late. Not only was he lambasted for not knowing much about the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), but he also shocked South Africans with his comments on homosexuality last month: His refusal to condemn Uganda’s “death penalty” for gay citizens went down like a lead balloon.

As well as suffering from severe “foot-in-mouth” syndrome, Mabuza has been accused of “wasting time” by irate EFF MPs. Their motion will be heard in Parliament later this week, and they may have some surprising support from across the benches – it’s understood a number of ANC representatives will back the proposals.

However, he has a number of fierce loyalists ready to fight his corner – and that contingent includes Thandi Modise. The house speaker isn’t a fan of what’s been suggested, and she’s likely to back Mabuza.

What would this mean for the deputy president?

Although David Mabuza wouldn’t be stripped entirely of these duties, many of his responsibilities would be removed, as-per the EFF’s proposals. The amount of questions he’ll have to face in each session is likely to be knocked down from six. It’s also believed that he will hand over some sittings to another cabinet member, but we haven’t had any names for replacements confirmed yet.

Meanwhile, the DP’s attendance record in Parliament has also come under scrutiny. He’s missed a few key engagements this year, due to business commitments and illness. The exile of David Mabuza may begin as early as Tuesday – once again, he will not be available to “waste anyone’s time” during the next Q&A session.

Deputy President David Mabuza is again unavailable to make oral replies to questions in the National Assembly next Tuesday.#sabcnews

— SAfm news (@SAfmnews) November 28, 2019