Madam Deputy Speaker, I just quickly want to take the House through the background of the reports.
In the general disciplinary process of magistrates, the Portfolio Committee - thus Parliament - constitutes one of the stages in the process. It is on that stage of the process that I am reporting here today.
We had to deal with the disciplinary cases of four magistrates.
The first case concerned Mrs N E Ndamase. The committee deliberated on this matter and reached a decision that the suspension should not be confirmed due to the fact that the committee felt that there were a lot of unsatisfactory elements presented by the commission.
The next case concerned Mr C M Dumani, in whose case we proposed that the provisional suspension be confirmed.
The third case concerned Ms T C Oliphant, in whose case we proposed that the removal from office not be confirmed.
The last case concerned the upliftment of the provisional suspension from office of Magistrate A Bacharam. We proposed that it be confirmed. Thank you. [Applause.]
There was no debate.
Question put: That the recommendation of the committee be adopted, namely that the provisional suspension of additional magistrate N E Ndamase not be confirmed.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance and Congress of the People abstaining, and Inkatha Freedom Party dissenting).
Provisional suspension of Magistrate N E Ndamase accordingly not confirmed.
Question put: That the recommendation of the committee be adopted, namely that the provisional suspension of Magistrate C M Dumani be confirmed.
Agreed to.
Provisional suspension of Magistrate C M Dumani accordingly confirmed.
Question put: That the recommendation of the committee be adopted, namely that the removal from office of Magistrate T C Oliphant not be confirmed.
Agreed to (Inkatha Freedom Party dissenting).
Removal from office of Magistrate T C Oliphant accordingly not confirmed.
Question put: That the recommendation of the committee be adopted, namely that the upliftment of the provisional suspension from office of Magistrate A Bacharam be confirmed.
Agreed to.
Upliftment of provisional suspension from office of Magistrate A Bacharam accordingly confirmed.
Deputy Speaker, in the case of Magistrate A Bacharam, we do not have an objection to the committee's recommendation, but we would like to point out that, in the ATCs (Announcements, Tablings and Committee Reports, 11 November 2009, page 1609) in item 6 of the report, it is said that Ms Bacharam was acquitted by the Regional Magistrate's Court in Port Elizabeth. It was, in fact, Port Shepstone. I trust that that will be corrected.