Speaker stalling on 'Signalgate' debate 

23 February 2015

The stonewalling of a parliamentary debate on the jamming of telecommunications signals during SONA has entered its second week, with the DA again writing to Speaker Baleka Mbete regarding undue delays in scheduling this important discussion.

It has been a week since the DA tabled a request for an urgent debate on a matter of public importance (as per rule 103 of the National Assembly) regarding 'Signalgate'. 

We also raised the matter at last week's National Assembly Programme Committee chaired by Speaker Mbete, who refused to give a definitive date for when the debate would take place.

I will now write to the Speaker, urging her to provide a definitive response. Our debate request was based on sound and readily justifiable grounds and she needs to provide the same, should this debate not take place.

The State Security Agency's involvement in security arrangements for the State of the Nation Address and the subsequent signal jamming in the National Assembly, constitute a serious infringement of Parliament's independence as well as the freedom of expression of MPs and the media.

The Speaker's stalling tactics have only highlighted her inability to preside objectively over Parliament, and are no doubt an attempt to protect herself and the Executive from being held accountable for this violation.

Considering the grave implications of this matter for Parliament's independence, the unconstitutionality of what took place, and the Speaker's own entanglement, this debate should be at the top of Parliament's list of priorities.

Statement issued by John Steenhuisen MP, DA Chief Whip, February 23 2015

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