Cape Town – South Africa’s former defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula is set to become the next Speaker of the National Assembly after the African National Congress (ANC) nominated her as its candidate.
This comes after she was fired as defence minister last week when President Cyril Ramphosa reshuffled his cabinet.
She was replaced by former National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise.
According to Times Live, ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe told a special party caucus meeting on Tuesday the party wanted Mapisa-Nqakula to be its candidate for the position.
The National Assembly speaker is elected from its 400 members by secret ballot. With 230 members, the ANC’s candidate is most likely to succeed, the report said.
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“As a former chief whip of the majority party in Parliament in 2001 as well as deputy chairperson of the ANC political committee as well as the chairperson of the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, former minister Mapisa-Nqakula brings a formidable wealth of experience to the new position, with a solid track record as a legislator and policymaker spanning over a number of years,” News24 quoted ANC’s Nomfanelo Kota as saying.
Following last month’s failed insurrection where she contradicted Ramaphosa’s characterisation of the criminal rampage, there had been a lot of speculation about Mapisa-Nqakula’s future.
Parliament said a date for the election would be determined through consultations, according to EWN.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
