‘I’M READY TO STEP DOWN AS DEFENCE CHAIRPERSON’

MBABANE – “I am ready to step down as Chair of Chairs and chairperson of the Defence Portfolio Committee, but this will not stop me from making calls that the prime minister must be elected by the people.”

This was said by Hosea MP, Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza, following a meeting of the House of Assembly Portfolio Committee for the Ministry of Defence and National Security that was convened by the Speaker Petros Mavimbela. MP Mabuza is the Chairperson of the portfolio committee and ordinarily, such meetings are called by the respective chairpersons instead of the Speaker.  However, yesterday at noon, Mavimbela convened the meeting of the seven-member committee, where he informed the members that he had been asked by some of their peers to facilitate the meeting as there were some issues that needed to be discussed. It should be noted that a message was sent to the Speaker, seeking clarity on the agenda, but he did not respond.
Present
The meeting was held in the Senate Chamber where six of the seven members of the portfolio committee were present.  The members of the committee include; MP Mabuza, appointed MP Chief Kusa, Matsanjeni North MP Phila Buthelezi and Manzini North MP Macford Sibandze.
Other attendees were Maphalaleni MP Mabulala Maseko, Motshane MP Robert Magongo and Kwaluseni MP Sibusiso Mabhanisi Dlamini.
According to sources, at the start of the meeting, the Speaker allegedly told the members that perhaps they were surprised why he was present, but said he had been asked by their colleagues to call the meeting.  The Speaker allegedly also said he would ask to be excused from the deliberations as he had only been asked to convene the meeting.
“However, some of the other MPs were quick to distance themselves from approaching the Speaker to convene such a meeting and implored the Speaker to name who the members were,” said one of the MPs.  It was reported that another portfolio committee member, wanted to find out why it was the Speaker’s Office, which called the meeting as this was the duty of the chairperson.
“The Speaker said he was merely passing on a message relayed by the unidentified members,” said the source.  Meanwhile, in an interview, MP Mabuza confirmed that he had asked the Speaker why he had convened such a meeting because this fell under the chairperson’s scope.  “I said I was the chairperson of the portfolio committee and we all know the procedure. If anything, the Speaker should have called me and in turn, I would have convened the meeting,” said MP Mabuza.
Meeting
He alleged that the last time he had called the committee was for a meeting which was supposed to take place sometime in April, but at the 11th hour, Minister Thuli Dladla called and said the army could not attend the meeting.  Mabuza said the Speaker should have come out clear and stated the names of the people who had asked for the meeting and wondered why they had not approached him if there was some agenda.  Mabuza said he was willing to chair the meeting even if he was the agenda.  “He must state who approached him and stripped me of my powers to call a portfolio committee meeting,” he said.  MP Mabuza further said he informed the meeting that he was aware that yesterday’s meeting was supposed to have taken place about two weeks ago according to his own sources.
Other members of the committee were reported to have called for calm during the meeting as tensions were rising and that the Speaker urged them to continue with the meeting to hear the agenda.
However, some of the committee members were of the view that they would be setting a bad precedence if they allowed the Speaker to now start calling committee meetings when that was the responsibility of the chairpersons.  
The members also wondered why the chairperson could not preside over yesterday’s meeting and then delegate the powers, should the agenda be about him (MP Mabuza).
One of the members allegedly said there were no secrets and that the meeting should continue although he also did not indicate if he had been one of those who had approached Mavimbela.
At the end of the meeting, it was agreed that the next one would be convened by MP Mabuza as chairperson and that those who had approached the Speaker should inform the chairperson.
The members wondered if the issue to be discussed was that sensitive that it needed the office of the Speaker.  When contacted, Motshane MP confirmed that he was part of the meeting called yesterday.
He said, however, they decided that the manner in which the meeting was called was not conducted procedurally, whatever the agenda was.
“I recall that there was a similar meeting which was called and they tried to oust me as chairperson of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport portfolio committee,” said Magongo.  He said although he did not know if the agenda was to remove MP Mabuza or not, but the whole set up had not been procedural.
confirmed
Kwaluseni MP also confirmed that there was a meeting held yesterday, but he could not state what the agenda was as only the chairperson could reveal that information.  He said they were awaiting the chairperson to call the next meeting.
Matsanjeni North MP said he was part of the Defence portfolio meeting which had a closed session briefing. “I cannot, however, discuss what was said and perhaps the best person to comment would be the convener of the meeting which was the Speaker’s Office,” said MP Buthelezi. Efforts to get the Speaker were unsuccessful as his mobile phone rang unanswered when called yesterday.
A WhatsApp message had also been sent to the Speaker, which was blue-ticked, but he had not responded to the text by 7pm last night.
He had been asked, among other questions, if he had the powers to convene the meeting as it had been alleged by MP Mabuza that it was against procedure and if he had indeed convened the meeting.

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