Virtually impossible: online secret ballot to elect speaker out of the question

Parliament is grappling with the logistical “nightmare” of ensuring that its 400 members will be kept safe from Covid-19 when they travel to Cape Town next Thursday for the first time since last year to elect a new speaker of the national assembly.

This comes as parliament’s top administrators conceded on Thursday that their ICT systems are not ready to allow all MPs a virtual simultaneous secret vote.  

Parliamentary chiefs on Thursday briefed the national assembly’s programming committee (NAPC) on preparations for a special sitting to elect a new speaker after the appointment of Thandi Modise as defence minister.

Having consulted with Mr Xaso and the team, it was going to be a nightmare to have a secret ballot for everyone on the virtual platform.

—  ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina

The former defence minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, has in turn been nominated by the ANC as its preferred candidate to replace Modise, a position that promotes her to the third most powerful politician after President Cyril Ramaphosa and his deputy David Mabuza.

But in terms of the constitution, Mapisa-Nqakula’s candidacy has to be endorsed by the majority of the 400 MPs in a sitting presided over by acting chief justice Raymond Zondo, or a judge designated by him.

If any party decides to nominate a candidate to oppose Mapisa-Nqakula, the matter will have to be settled by secret ballot in a physical sitting of the house, and it is for that reason that all MPs are expected to be in Cape Town for the first time since the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020.

National assembly secretary Masibulele Xaso told the NAPC, which is attended by the chief whips from all parties represented in the house and chaired by acting-speaker Lechesa Tsenoli, that they were pulling out all the stops to ensure that Covid-19 safety measures and adequate social distancing would be observed, with 400 MPs in parliament at the same time.

“We have looked at possible venues. The NA chamber can only accommodate up to 167 members with social distancing.

“We’re also proposing that we use the public gallery, which can accommodate up to 127 members with social distancing observed,” explained Xaso.

“If we also use room E249, which can accommodate 92 members, and the officials’ bay in the NA chamber, which can accommodate up to 24 members, that gives us a sitting capacity of 410 seats.”

The floor to the national assembly would remain the central voting venue, with the acting chief justice observing proceedings from the presiding officers’ chair.

“Between the chamber and E249, there will be video connection,” said Xaso.

“Members will be called in batches of 10 to come forward, obtain the ballot paper, have their names ticked and cast their ballot. Members from the gallery and E249 will be ushered in groups of 10.”

But some MPs were not impressed with the arrangement, saying it exposed them to the risk of Covid-19 infection, as the Western Cape was now experiencing the peak of its third wave.

The IFP’s Narend Singh was the first to shoot down Xaso’s proposal, arguing he had attended many international conferences where secret ballot voting was conducted on a virtual platform and there was no reason MPs could not be allowed the same.

“I participated in international conferences recently with secret ballots and we’ve been able to vote secretly. Even with the judicial service commission we’ve been able to submit our secret ballots virtually,” said Singh.

Shaik Emam, of the NFP, came out in support of Singh. “Shouldn’t we have considered a secret ballot on a virtual platform? It poses a serious risk,” said Emam who also argued that Xaso’s proposals were in breach of Covid-19 regulations for 50% of capacity at venues.

But this was dismissed by other MPs, who pointed out that this did not apply to parliament because it was a place of work.

DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone said MPs needed to demonstrate to the public that it was possible to continue with normal duties as the virus was going to be around for a long time.

Pemmy Majodina, chief whip of the ANC, said MPs with comorbidities would be catered for but it would be a “nightmare” to arrange a secret ballot for 400 MPs on virtual platforms.

“Having consulted with Mr Xaso and the team, it was going to be a nightmare to have a secret ballot for everyone on the virtual platform,” said Majodina.

Baby Tyawa, the acting secretary to parliament, said parliament was still working at beefing up its ICT systems.

She said its system could now only run virtual secret voting for a minimal number of MPs.

“It will be indicated by the parties if there are members with comorbidities who will be a lesser number and our ICT has indicated it’s possible to handle that,” said Tyawa.