MK chief whip Ngubane says party ready to assume role as official opposition
With the Democratic Alliance part of the Government of National Unity (GNU), it's set to lose the title it has held for years to the MK.
John Hlophe, alongside members of the MK Party, being sworn in as MPs on 25 June 2024. Picture: GCIS
CAPE TOWN - Just a day after being sworn in as new members of Parliament, the MK Party is looking to be accorded the title of official opposition.
With the Democratic Alliance part of the Government of National Unity (GNU), it's set to lose the title it has held for years to the MK.
On Wednesday, MK Chief Whip Sihle Ngubane informed the National Assembly's rules committee the party would table official proposals to amend the House rules as Parliament still grapples with changes to accommodate a situation where no party has an outright majority.
The country is still in Cabinet limbo, with the configuration of the executive still unclear.
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But the National Assembly is already at work amending its rules to accommodate more political parties, both in its structures and in how they engage in the House.
The House rules accord specific status to a majority party from which a chief whip also gets its status, and similarly, the official opposition and its leader.
The MK's newly minted chief whip, Sihle Ngubane, said his party was ready to assume its role as the official opposition.
The job of official opposition leader also comes with a salary bump.
"We will be making a submission for the revision of rule 191 and rule 32, which all implicate our status as the largest opposition party in the assembly."
Speaker Thoko Didiza said that a sub-committee would be established very soon to review rules which give effect to government’s new composition.