The next president of South Africa and speaker of the National Assembly will be elected during the first sitting of the new Parliament on Friday 14 June at 10:00.
Chief Justice Raymond Zondo made the announcement that the first sitting will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre for the swearing in of 400 Members of Parliament.
According to the Constitution, a president must be elected not more than 14 days after the election results have been declared.
Members of the National Council of Provinces will be sworn in on Saturday 15 June.
It comes amid threats from the disputed MK Party, that announced it plans to approach the Constitutional Court to interdict the inauguration of members of Parliament.
In a statement released this morning, the MK Party says it will take these steps if their allegations of election fraud are not addressed.
The party had previously indicated that its 58 elected Members, who are expected to occupy seats in the National Assembly, will boycott and not attend the first sitting.
The IEC has maintained the integrity of the elections, and declared them free and fair.
Meanwhile, Parliament says it has taken note of the letter from the MK Party, informing the institution of its intention to challenge the validity of the election results.
In a statement, Parliament says it does not agree with MK Party’s interpretation of Section 46 of the Constitution.
Parliament is of the view that it is legally bound to facilitate the first sitting of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces at a date and time determined by the Chief Justice, and there are no legal impediments preventing this process.
According to section 49(3) of the Constitution, unless and until the results of the election are set aside by a court, Parliament must ensure that the sittings proceed as directed.
Parliament has thus announced that in light of the MK Party’s expressed decision, through their legal representatives, not to attend the first sitting, Parliament has cancelled all arrangements for accommodation and flights for the party’s elected members.
This measure is to avoid incurring fruitless and wasteful expenditure, in compliance with the Financial Management of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act, 2009.
Meanwhile, axed MK Party leader Jabulani Khumalo claims the party’s members will be sworn in on 14 June.
In a statement, Khumalo said the communication sent by the MK Party to Parliament that the party’s members will not be attending the first sitting is “misguided in law and frankly embarrassing”.
“Should any MK member of parliament not avail themselves for understandable fear of victimisation by Mr [Jacob] Zuma and his clique, will not in itself be the basis for Parliament not to continue with its business of swearing in members of Parliament and continue with its scheduled business on the date chosen by the Chief Justice,” Khumalo said.
He says Zuma was undermining Parliament, the courts, and the chief justice. Khumalo also says he accepted the election results.
Khumalo tops the MK Party’s parliamentary candidate list to for the upcoming swearing-in of MPs.
It comes as talks continue around a Government of National Unity. It remains to be seen how the new government will be constituted, but all will be revealed in due course.
