THE Western Cape High Court has rejected the urgent application made by Dipuo Peters to prevent Parliament from implementing her suspension on Monday, 29 January.
The deputy minister of small business development's suspension was imposed by the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interests in October 2023.
Parliament said Peters had breached the Code of Ethical Conduct in her former portfolio as Minister of Transport and as a result, she was sanctioned and suspended for one term.
The complaint was laid by #UniteBehind leader and activist, Zackie Achmat.
Achmat made several allegations against Peters including that she was neglectful in her previous portfolio as minister of transport by failing to appoint a Group CEO of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).
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Parliament spokesman Moloto Molapo said the complaint also alleged that the member dismissed the Molefe Board, seemingly because it had uncovered R14 billion in irregular expenditure and instituted investigations into corruption at Prasa.
“It was also alleged that she used Prasa buses for ANC events during 2014 and 2015 without ensuring payment from the ANC, among others,” he said.
Mothapo said the committee advised that the member should be barred from participating in all parliamentary debates and sessions, as well as from committee meetings and their related activities and operations, for one session of the parliamentary program.
Peters approached the high court to prevent the suspension by making an urgent application, but the court found that there was no valid justification for the application to be heard on an urgent basis as she was aware of the committee’s conclusions and the penalties it proposed on 26 October 2023, which she acknowledged receiving.
Her application was dismissed with costs.
Mothapo said Peters will be placed on suspension commencing tomorrow, 30 January, with the suspension expected to last until 28 March.
“We appreciate the court's sentiments regarding the importance of allowing Parliament, as an arm of state, to regulate its business without interference from other arms of the state,” he said.
