Just one day after being sworn in, the MK Party is seeking recognition as the official opposition in Parliament.
As the Democratic Alliance has joined the Government of National Unity (GNU), it stands to relinquish this title, which it has maintained for years, to the MK Party.
On Wednesday, Sihle Ngubane, the Chief Whip of the MK Party, addressed the National Assembly’s rules committee, indicating that his party would propose amendments to the House rules. This is in response to the ongoing adjustments needed in Parliament due to the lack of a clear majority.
The country remains in a state of uncertainty regarding the Cabinet’s formation, with the executive’s configuration still undetermined.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly is proactive in modifying its rules to better include a wider array of political parties, both within its structure and in its parliamentary engagements.
The rules of the House grant specific privileges to a majority party, from which a chief whip derives their status, and similarly, to the official opposition and its leader.
Sihle Ngubane, the newly appointed Chief Whip of the MK, confirmed his party’s readiness to take on the role of official opposition.
The position of official opposition leader is also associated with an increase in salary.
“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,” Ngubane stated.
Speaker Thoko Didiza announced that a sub-committee would soon be formed to reevaluate the rules in response to changes in the government’s structure.
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