Share

Baleka Mbete on extended leave

Cape Town - National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete has only been in Parliament three times since taking her seat, City Press reported on Sunday.

Mbete, who was redeployed from Luthuli House where she was ANC chairperson, has not presided over a sitting of the House since the start of Parliament's new term.

She was in Parliament the day she was elected Speaker, for President Jacob Zuma's State of the Nation address and to present the legislature's budget vote to the National Assembly.

Unwell

According to the report, word doing the rounds in Parliament was that she was ill. This was confirmed by senior officials.

Deputy speaker Lechesa Tsenoli said Mbete had been advised to rest as much as possible given her state of health. He said Parliament was confident she would resume her duties on 18 August.

"We are quite aware she has not been well, was advised to receive treatment and that she must rest as much as possible so she recovers before she returns," Tsenoli was quoted as saying.

He said the African National Congress's national executive committee had given officials time off to rest following a taxing election campaign.

Zuma was admitted to hospital in June and was booked off work so that he could rest.

ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said Mbete had taken extended leave to rest after elections.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
42% - 340 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
58% - 472 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.95
-0.2%
Rand - Euro
20.46
+0.0%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.36
-0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.3%
Platinum
911.00
+1.6%
Palladium
1,008.15
+0.6%
Gold
2,217.47
+1.0%
Silver
24.78
+0.5%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.9%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.9%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE