The Western Cape High Court has struck off the roll an urgent application by ANC MP Mervyn Dirks ahead of a crucial meeting of the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa).
CAPE TOWN – The Western Cape High Court has struck off the roll an urgent application by ANC MP Mervyn Dirks ahead of a crucial meeting of the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa).
Dirks turned to the court to get his suspension lifted ahead of the meeting at 4pm on Tuesday, but the court found the application lacked urgency.
The ANC suspended Dirks last week and stripped him of his responsibilities in Parliament and withdrew his Scopa membership.
Scopa chairperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa last week set the meeting for Tuesday, irrespective of Dirks’ suspension from the ANC.
ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina had said Dirks acted in an unbecoming manner in regards to his letter to Scopa.
This was after he had asked the committee to call President Cyril Ramaphosa to give answers to his remarks in the national executive committee that public funds were used to campaign for top positions in the party.
After his suspension from ANC activities in Parliament, Dirks went to court to lift his suspension ahead of the Scopa meeting.
Hlengwa said the matter was now in the hands of Parliament and the committee would have to take a decision.
Dirks had also asked the court to stop the ANC from appointing another party member to replace him as whip of the party in Scopa.
– Political Bureau
