Constitutional amendment regarding motions of no confidence a step in the right direction

Dear Editor

The proposed amendment to the Constitution regarding the frequency of motions of no confidence in the country’s president, Cabinet, a provincial premier or the executive authority of a province is welcomed.

At present, there are no restrictions on bringing such motions which mostly results in severe disruptions and distrust in the government in question, on whichever level.

As seen countless times, it can severely disrupt service delivery and taxpayers are always on the losing side.

It is prudent to anticipate that after next year’s elections, there will most probably be coalitions in certain provinces, and maybe even on national level.

The proposed amendment suggests that motions should be limited to only one motion over a period of twelve months.

The FF Plus supports this amendment in the interest of stability, which is essential on all the relevant levels of government. In this way, an elected government will be able to govern without constant motions resulting in disruption.

A further positive aspect is that it still makes provision for motions in exceptional cases.

One such a case is if a specific person violated the Constitution’s provisions, or committed a gross irregularly, or if someone were to become incompetent to do their work.

Seen in its entirety, it brings a balanced approach facilitating stability, on the one hand, but it also still offers the opportunity to bring about change where needed on the other. The FF Plus, therefore, supports the proposed amendment.

Regards

Dr. Corné Mulder
FF Plus MP and Chief Whip