The MK party has rejected both the process and the outcome of the sitting.
KwaZulu-Natal premier Thami Ntuli says the motion of no confidence brought against him by the MK party was not about service delivery.
He said the EFF and the MK party never expected the government of provincial unity (GPU) to maintain stability beyond three months.
“I said right from the onset that this motion had nothing to do with the issue of confidence because at no stage did the MKP with the EFF have confidence in the Premier and the executives. You recall that during the establishment of government, they were a bloc that voted against the GPU,” Ntuli told SABC News.
“So after that, they said the government was not going to last three months, after three months, six months, and after six months it’s a vote of no confidence, because they say they want to claim back the province, despite the number of achievements, which have been achieved by the provincial government, the stability that is in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
“Even the issue of crime fighting, when the report on the stats is showing a decrease in crime stats, which is an indication that the government is working quite well, despite numerous challenges, but there are significant improvements and an important direction, which is now being presented by the provincial government.”
Ntuli on future motions
The GPU emerged victorious after a no-confidence motion against Ntuli failed on Monday.
The motion, brought by the MK party, was supported by the EFF and opposed by the DA, ANC, NFP and IFP.
The MK party is the only party in the province that received more than 40% of the provincial vote. It has 37 seats in the legislature. This is the basis on which the party brought the motion against Ntuli, arguing that KZN voters had been robbed.
The MK party needed 41 votes to remove Ntuli, who is an IFP member. However, the motion failed after every GPU member voted against it.
Although Ntuli acknowledged that the two parties may bring future motions against him, he said he saw no reason why they would succeed.
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“In terms of Chapter 6 of the constitution of the Republic, you can remove the premier through impeachment, or through Section 141, through a 50 plus 1 majority. Hence, that is the approach they were taking today.
“You see, when you do the calculations, a simple majority in the case of KwaZulu-Natal would require 41 seats. So, even if they can be 40, that motion will not carry the weight. And I see no reason that this government, which is inspiring hope to the people of KwaZulu-Natal, can, in fact, along the way, not survive.”
Threats
On Monday, Jacob Zuma’s party brought proceedings to a standstill when Speaker Nontembeko Boyce refused to allow a secret ballot during the motion.
Alongside EFF councillors, MK party members sang and danced in the chambers to prevent the vote from going ahead.
The MK party claimed that some members had been threatened and did not feel safe to vote in an open ballot.
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Ntuli said the claimed threats must be reported to the police.
“If someone receives a threat, it must first be reported to the police. Police must investigate and arrest. The work of the police is not something that one can interfere with,” said Ntuli.
“If that did not take place, you see, to suggest that a ballot vote would protect your identity as to who you voted for, but after you have openly debated the motion, I see no difference in that. The people fabricate and bring false hope to the people of KwaZulu-Natal that I have people from the IFP to vote with us. I have people from the ANC to vote with us. When that does not happen, it’s chaos.”
‘Illegitimate sitting’
The MK party has since rejected both the process and the outcome of the sitting.
“At the centre of this collapse stands the conduct of the Speaker, Hon. Nontembeko Boyce, whose actions were marked by arrogance, bias and reckless disregard for her constitutional obligations.
“Despite credible, texted death threats directed at Members of the Legislature, and despite the obvious climate of intimidation and political tension, the Speaker refused a lawful and reasonable request for a secret ballot.
“There was no valid vote and no defeat. There was only an attempt to force through a dangerous, irregular and unlawful process while ignoring explicit threats to Members’ safety.”
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