The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Tuesday said Speaker Baleka Mbete was plainly putting the ruling party before the good of Parliament and the country on the matter of a secret ballot on the motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma after she reportedly said MPs had an obligation to toe the party line.

“Mbete’s comments show that, when faced with the inherent conflict of her role as chairperson of the ANC [African National Congress] and NA Speaker, she does not hesitate to put party before Parliament,” DA chief whip John Steenhuisen said.

“It is alarming that Mbete feels free to speak so candidly about the ‘obligations’ of ANC MPs precisely when she is called upon to apply her mind and decide on the matter of the secret ballot.”

He was referring to Mbete telling reporters at the ANC policy conference: “In as far as the question of secret or not secret [ballot], I think individuals can think whichever way they want to, but whereas a Member who was sent to Parliament by a political party, you owe it to that party to take a position as guided by it.”

Steenhuisen noted that in the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the opposition’s application on a secret ballot, Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, said: “Members of the ruling party are also at liberty to vote in a way that does not always have to be predetermined by their parties”.

The court held that a secret ballot on a motion of no confidence was permissible but that the decision lay in the hands of the Speaker of the National Assembly, given the separation of powers. Mogoeng had however remarked that that each member of Parliament must “be able to do what would in reality advance our constitutional project of improving the lives of all citizens”.

Steenhuisen said Mbete should weigh her words responsibly, as she not only had the power to decide whether or not to allow a secret ballot but would probably preside over the debate, which is scheduled for August 8.

“As Mogoeng rightly notes, ‘accountability is necessitated by the reality that constitutional office-bearers occupy their positions of authority on behalf of and for the common good of all the people’,” he said.

In further remarks to reporters on Tuesday, Mbete said frequent opposition court challenges against government or Parliament were an unnecessary drain of energy and resources.

“We are now getting used to it. It is unfortunate in my view, because when the Constitution has given us certain duties, it has actually said we have a right to decide our internal arrangements and we, again and again take things out, [things] which belong to our internal arrangements, we take them to court, it is so unnecessary,” she said at the policy conference in Johannesburg.

“It is unnecessary energy and resources that is being used in that exercise. However, people have a democratic right to do it and they do it nonetheless. We hope they will see sense one of these days.”

The application to the Constitutional Court to impose a secret ballot was made by the United Democratic Movement, after opposition parties tabled a motion of no confidence in response to Zuma’s firing of former finance minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy, Mcebisi Jonas.