David Mabuza skips Q&A session but is ‘not in ICU’, spokesperson says
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Deputy President David Mabuza is neither “incapacitated” nor lying in a sick bed in an intensive care unit, but is merely heeding medical advice by staying away from question-and-answer sessions with MPs in parliament, his parliamentary counsellor, Hope Papo, said Thursday.
Papo, an ANC MP, told a meeting of the National Assembly’s programme committee on Thursday that the DA was being “insensitive” after it inquired about the deputy president's whereabouts.
During the meeting, DA deputy chief whip Jacques Julius complained about Mabuza's postponed oral question-and-answer session, due to take place on Thursday afternoon, saying it affected parliament's ability to hold the deputy president accountable.
The latest postponement of Mabuza's session follows a similar one in July, when he asked for a rescheduling of his appearance in the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces on medical grounds.
“The deputy president could not appear and those questions are standing over. There's some kind of public outcry out there and a decision must be taken or some kind of explanation must be given,” said Julius.
“It's been going on for a very long time, where the deputy president has been ill. It's a real concern that we do not get proper communications ... but also what happens with these questions and the work of the leader of government business?
“I think the executive needs to explain what to do in terms of getting someone to answer those questions because the work must continue, although we feel for our colleagues that are ill.”
This did not sit well with Papo, who hit back at the DA MP for raising the matter, arguing that Mabuza's absence had been communicated to National Assembly speaker Thandi Modise and agreed to.
“The deputy is not incapacitated but he was asked to not actually answer because when you deal with having to speak for long time, three hours, four hours, that actually happens,” said Papo.
“He talks, he's walking and about ... but that doesn't mean if the medical team say you must be off, you create an impression that the deputy president is in ICU. He's not in ICU, he's in dynamic contact with the speaker,” he added.
DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone sprang to her deputy's defence, saying his questions were not in bad faith.
“If he's incapacitated for a certain period of time one would expect that someone steps in and assists the leader of ...
Papo, an ANC MP, told a meeting of the National Assembly’s programme committee on Thursday that the DA was being “insensitive” after it inquired about the deputy president's whereabouts.
During the meeting, DA deputy chief whip Jacques Julius complained about Mabuza's postponed oral question-and-answer session, due to take place on Thursday afternoon, saying it affected parliament's ability to hold the deputy president accountable.
The latest postponement of Mabuza's session follows a similar one in July, when he asked for a rescheduling of his appearance in the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces on medical grounds.
“The deputy president could not appear and those questions are standing over. There's some kind of public outcry out there and a decision must be taken or some kind of explanation must be given,” said Julius.
“It's been going on for a very long time, where the deputy president has been ill. It's a real concern that we do not get proper communications ... but also what happens with these questions and the work of the leader of government business?
“I think the executive needs to explain what to do in terms of getting someone to answer those questions because the work must continue, although we feel for our colleagues that are ill.”
This did not sit well with Papo, who hit back at the DA MP for raising the matter, arguing that Mabuza's absence had been communicated to National Assembly speaker Thandi Modise and agreed to.
“The deputy is not incapacitated but he was asked to not actually answer because when you deal with having to speak for long time, three hours, four hours, that actually happens,” said Papo.
“He talks, he's walking and about ... but that doesn't mean if the medical team say you must be off, you create an impression that the deputy president is in ICU. He's not in ICU, he's in dynamic contact with the speaker,” he added.
DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone sprang to her deputy's defence, saying his questions were not in bad faith.
“If he's incapacitated for a certain period of time one would expect that someone steps in and assists the leader of ...
