During a session of the SAPS Ad Hoc Committee, a debate has erupted over calls for DA member Dianne Kohler Barnard to recuse herself.
EFF leader Julius Malema has strongly objected to the move, arguing that a committee cannot force a member to recuse themselves. He stated that recusal is a personal decision and that forcing a party to replace its representative sets an unsustainable precedent.
Malema emphasized that the committee’s rules and terms of reference do not provide for the removal of a member by the chairperson or a committee vote. He framed his opposition as a “matter of principle,” defending the right of political parties to choose their own representatives on parliamentary committees.