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The DA has appointed veteran MP and former prosecutor Glynnis Breytenbach as its new chief whip in the National Assembly.
Announcing the appointment on Monday, DA parliamentary leader George Michalakis said Breytenbach would serve as the party’s custodian of parliamentary rules and procedures and would act as one of the DA’s chief negotiators within the government of national unity (GNU) in Parliament.
Breytenbach brings 12 years of parliamentary experience to the role, alongside decades as a senior state prosecutor before entering politics.
She has served throughout her parliamentary tenure as the DA’s spokesperson on justice. Michalakis said the appointment reflected the party’s emphasis on safety and security issues in parliament and aligned with the vision of DA federal leader Geordin Hill-Lewis.
In her new role, Breytenbach will work alongside deputy chief whip Bax Nodada and oversee the DA’s 13 National Assembly whips, 87 National Assembly members and 12 National Council of Provinces delegates.
Michalakis said the caucus was united in wishing Breytenbach success in her new position.
The DA has also named its delegation to the National Assembly’s impeachment committee on the Phala Phala matter.
Five DA MPs will represent the party as the committee looks into the fitness of President Cyril Ramaphosa to hold office.
They are Michalakis, Nodada, Breytenbach, party spokesperson Karabo Khakhau, and Nazley Sharif.
The DA lauded Khakhau for exposing the issue of the appointment of politically aligned sector education and training authority (Seta) board chairpersons.
“This led to the removal of higher education minister Nobuhle Nkabane.”
Sharif led the “accountability attack” which resulted in Ramaphosa firing social development minister Sisisi Tolashe.
“On the Phala Phala matter, the DA has been clear: where there is a finding of wrongdoing against the president, the DA will hold him accountable as we have done with members of the cabinet.”
The party said it respects the rule of law and will exercise its constitutional duty to hold the executive accountable in a constructive manner.
This publication has learnt Ramaphosa is intending to interdict the Phala Phala impeachment proceedings against him.
As parliament went ahead last week with the first steps to launch the process, sources close to the president indicated an interdict was central to a strategy to stall MPs, at least until a court has reviewed the Section 89 panel report at the centre of the impeachment drama.
The National Assembly chief whip’s forum has agreed on the composition of the Section 89 committee that will determine whether there is prima facie evidence to institute impeachment proceedings.
The committee will consist of 31 members. A total of 19 seats will be allocated to the four largest parties in parliament — ANC (nine), DA (five), MK Party (three) and EFF (two) — and the remaining 12 places will be shared among the smaller parties with one each.
The DA is the first party to publicly announce its representatives.
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