TROLLIP'S REINSTATEMENT PROOF THAT CONSTITUTIONALISM TRUMPS MAJORITARIANISM
My reinstatement today and the payment of my salary effectively overturn my suspension of two weeks and a fine of one month's salary.
The statement that I read out today (see below) as per the out-of-court settlement is precisely what I offered to do when the Premier first demanded an apology at a legislature sitting on 23 July 2014. At the said sitting I undertook to make a qualified apology. I said: "Hon Speaker, I want my question to be answered by the Premier and once the Premier has answered the question I will consider whether there was a need for an apology because the things that he says that I have said, I never did say." I did not and could not apologise for calling the Premier a liar, a cheat and a thief, because I never ever said that nor implied that.
This offer was rejected by the speaker, Noxolo Kiviet, and the matter was referred to the Ethics Committee under the chairmanship of the deputy speaker, Bulelwa Tunyiswa. The deputy speaker subsequently tabled the ethics committee report on 16 September 2014 where I challenged the fairness and contents of the report. The speaker ruled that the report be referred back to the Ethics Committee for reconsideration.
The report was re-tabled on 2 October 2014 and was largely unchanged, save for the fact that the charges and findings appeared to be embellished to achieve what was clearly a predetermined outcome.
In this regard my notice of motion of my interdict included affidavits that testified that three ANC-MPLs including one of the Ethics Committee members were heard to say: "Siza kumfumana kwi ethics, uTrollip" (We will get Trollip in the Ethics Committee).