Legislature to debate Mpumalanga premier's fitness to hold office

Mbombela - Members of the Mpumalanga Legislature will debate whether Premier David Mabuza - who has been off sick since the beginning of September - is still fit to hold office.

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader in the province Collen Sedibe asked the legislature, which is based in Mbombela, to hold the debate because Mabuza had been off duty for more than 37 days.

"I rise with a motion to have the house, in its next seating, debate the inability of the premier to perform his duties due to his indefinite sick leave.

"The premier has been absent from work for more than 37 days now.

"Yes, we respect the family's privacy, but in the Constitution there are rules that say when and how a premier should be replaced," said Sedibe, to jeers from ANC members in the legislature.

As Sedibe continued to table his motion, ANC members shouted: "In your dreams!"

Controversial ANC member Victor Windvoël labelled Sedibe's sentiments and motion inhumane and uncultured.

"In our culture as Africans we are not allowed to discuss someone's sickness in his absentia. Even if he was here, it's inhumane," shouted Windvoël.

Speaker of the House, Thandi Shongwe told Sedibe the provincial government was not in a crisis.

However, she agreed that the debate would be held in the next sitting later this month.

"It is not the first sitting where we have a premier sick. Since 1994, it is not my work to write to members informing them of the premier's sickness.

"Honourable Sedibe, please reconfigure your motion. We cannot debate the illness of the premier, but we can debate the ability to perform his duties," said Shongwe.

Bushbuckridge Residents' Association member of the legislature Cleopas Maunye said there was nothing wrong with the EFF's motion.

"Rules of the house allow any member to raise a motion. There was no need to howl like that. If they are against the motion, which is in the rules, they will have to defend their views during the debate," said Maunye.