“The judgment significantly states that any attempt by the court to substitute the decision of the Speaker would be tantamount to an intrusion in the doctrine of separation of powers,” Parliament said in a statement.

“It is inconceivable how the Speaker is attributed blame for ‘chaos’ in the National Assembly. The Speaker is obliged to conduct proceedings within confined boundaries set by Parliament rules and procedures, the judgment states.”

Agang SA, the United Democratic Movement, and Cope, three of Parliament’s smaller opposition parties, wanted the court to declare Mbete unfit to hold office, citing bias.

Agang SA MP Andries Plouamma said while he was disappointed, turning to the courts was only the start of the “war against corruption and nepotism”.

“The war has begun, but we need not only to rely on the courts. We must take our war to the communities – a justifiable war to protect our democracy, to make sure that every person that is working as a public figure is accountable to the people, not to his friends, or to his party,” Plouamma said.

“Whatever they [members of the executive] are doing, we don’t know, we can’t ask questions. They are protected by the Speaker or the institution that is to hold them accountable. To me it creates an environment that allows corruption to flourish.”

ANC chief whip Stone Sizani’s spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said the ruling did not come as a surprise.

“From the onset we have argued that the cases, as well as the reasons that have been advanced by these parties, are frivolous, without merit, and they are not based on the Constitution, the law of the Republic of South Africa, ” said Mothapo.

“It was merely done as part of the… new phenomenon by the opposition to turn to the courts as a platform for free media publicity.”

Mothapo added that Parliament had its own rules governing the conduct of the Speaker and did not require intervention from the courts.

ANA