Parliament says first sitting will go ahead despite MK boycott

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Parliament says the first sitting of the National Assembly will go ahead as planned on Friday the 14th of June. This follows the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party writing to the Secretary of Parliament and the Chief Justice asking them not to continue with the sitting.

The party is not happy with the 2024 election results. All political parties who garnered enough votes to gain seats in the National Assembly will attend Friday’s sitting except the MK Party.

The party has told SABC News that court action will follow if their letter of demand is not heeded to.

There has to be compelling reasons by the MK Party to convince a court that the matter has to be heard on an urgent basis.

Constitutional law expert, Advocate Lufuno Nevondwe questions why the party has not lodged its application immediately after the results were announced.

“Let’s analyse the MK case, the results were announced on 2nd of June, so now there is no application before court by MK Party on an urgent application to interdict the first sitting of Parliament is not there so which means that if there is no urgency. If there’s an allegation of urgency that will be self-created and that cannot succeed in a court of law. I don’t think an urgent application will meet the rules of applications 6 sub-rule 12 of the court rules.”

A political analyst at the University of South Africa says this is all part of a broader plan by the party to paint their members as victims.

“It is all part of a ploy by MK to paint themselves as victims after failing in their bid to obtain a two-thirds majority as they promised their voters,” Prof Dirk Kotze of Unisa.

Kotze elaborates on MK’s threat to boycott the first sitting.

“Although the MK members will not attend the first sitting, they can still be Members of Parliament should they decide to say they can take their oath as MPs on another occasion as long as a judge presides over the ceremony.”

The President, Speaker and Deputy Speaker will be elected by a majority at the first sitting which is equal to 50-percent plus one votes of the members in attendance.

Video: Parliament sitting – MK Party’s 58 elected MPs to boycott the first sitting