Deputy speaker takes over role of speaker during her “special leave”

CAPE TOWN, South Africa | Xinhua) | The South African parliament said in a late-night statement Saturday that Lechesa Tsenoli, the deputy speaker of the National Assembly, will serve as the acting speaker during the speaker’s “special leave” from her role.

Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, the speaker of the National Assembly, is currently implicated in corruption allegations involving more than 2.3 million rands (about 120,000 U.S. dollars), which date back to her tenure as defense minister between 2016 and 2019.

Mapisa-Nqakula announced Thursday evening that she would take “special leave” from her position, “effective immediately.”

In Saturday’s statement, the South African parliament said the work of the National Assembly “remains unaffected,” and it will continue to fulfill its constitutional obligations and its programs while Mapisa-Nqakula takes a leave of absence from her duties to attend to matters related to the investigation into corruption allegations.

“Mr. Lechesa Tsenoli, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, will serve as the Acting Speaker during the Speaker’s leave. He will assume all functions, powers, and responsibilities vested in the Speaker,” read the statement.

The statement noted that according to the rules of parliament, in the event of the speaker’s absence, inability to perform her duties or vacancy in the office, the deputy speaker is required to assume the role of acting speaker.

“The speaker has also formally notified the deputy speaker of her decision to take leave. In her communication, she has requested that he, in his capacity as acting speaker, formally inform the house of this development at its next sitting,” said the statement.

The statement also stressed that Mapisa-Nqakula’s “special leave” is provided for in the rules of parliament, which state that “if a member’s absence extends beyond 15 consecutive sittings of the House, a motion explaining the reason and duration of the absence must be introduced.”

However, “considering that the National Assembly has only three plenary sittings remaining before it adjourns at the end of March for the national and provincial elections on 29 May, the formal motion process will not be required in this instance,” said the statement.

Mapisa-Nqakula, a 67-year-old veteran of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), served as South Africa’s defense minister from 2012 to 2021. ■