ANC faces fierce debate on Ginwala's conduct over the arms inquiry

Opposition parties are gearing up for a showdown with the ANC in Parliament on Thursday over the conduct of the Speaker, Frene Ginwala, even though the Democratic Alliance says it does not want her removed.

"The alternatives would be too ghastly to contemplate," said the Democratic Party Chief Whip, Douglas Gibson.

Ironically, Ginwala, who stands accused of having intervened in the interests of her party in the arms inquiry, has enjoyed great respect among minority parties.

However, hopes in the ANC that this might cause opposition parties to temper their approach have not materialised.

Gibson said there was "absolutely no possibility" that the Democratic Alliance would support the motion that calls for a vote of confidence in Ginwala.

He said the ANC's insistence that the only way to resolve the controversy over Ginwala was by parliamentary debate, not through a committee that would establish the facts, had angered his party.

"It is entirely inappropriate. The people running the debate will ram it [the motion] through. There will be no clearing of the air and the allegations will neither be substantiated nor refuted," he said.

Gibson said it was a great pity that Ginwala's standing might be damaged by the controversy.

"She's done everyone a service in establishing parliamentary precedent in South Africa, but she has fallen victim to her duality of roles. When the two roles have clashed and the real interests of her party have been at stake, she's been the politician," said Gibson.

United Democratic Movement President Bantu Holomisa said his party was also gearing up for a fight.

"There's no way I can back off. Instead, I will motivate more and substantiate what I have said," he said.

Holomisa, who was served with a lawyer's letter from Ginwala this week, said he had no intention of retracting comments he had made in his open letter to the media.

"That word is not even in my vocabulary," he said.

The only minority party vacillating over its stance on Ginwala was the IFP.

Its Chief Whip, Koos van der Merwe, said that while his party stood by IFP MP Gavin Woods, who has levelled serious claims of partisanship against Ginwala, "one must tread very softly in criticism" as it could damage the institution of the Speaker and Parliament itself.

"I think she's got the message and we should take our eye off the incumbent and debate whether the Speaker should be a political activist," he said.

Van der Merwe was in hot water with his caucus this week for flouting a party mandate that said the preferred way of dealing with the Ginwala controversy was by establishing a parliamentary committee.

But when he met the whips of other parties, Van der Merwe reneged and supported the ANC proposal to hold a debate.

With acknowledgment to Carol Paton and the Sunday Times.