The African National Congress on Tuesday used its majority in parliament to overrule one of its most senior members, Speaker Frene Ginwala - who is supported by all opposition parties - on her demand that disgraced ANC MP Tony Yengeni appear before the House.

Ginwala, a member of the ANC's national executive committee, proposed to the National Assembly's rules committee on Tuesday morning that Yengeni - the former chief whip - appear before a full sitting of the House to explain why he lied to parliament.

In a plea bargain agreement with the state, Yengeni was convicted on charges of defrauding parliament by failing to declare the discount he received on his luxury Mercedes 4x4.

In a statement to the National Assembly on March 28 last year - at his request - Yengeni said "Its acquisition does not in any way amount to a gift or a donation and therefore there was no interest to be declared."

'It is extremely serious to mislead parliament'

Ginwala said this week "It is extremely serious to mislead parliament and I would like members and all parties to take it in that way, not to defer it again and again and again. I am asking the House to act on this matter.

"It's time the South African public realised that some people in this parliament take the institution very seriously, and let us see how many," Ginwala said.

In a dramatic and intense discussion lasting more than an hour, opposition parties lined up to support Ginwala, but the ANC opposed the motion, arguing that Yengeni should appear before "a smaller committee", to be set up by the assembly, where he could make a statement and answer questions from MPs.

Senior ANC MP John Jeffery said his party would not support a process by which parliament would "just go through the motions", instead of giving Yengeni a fair opportunity to be heard.

"If we want to call Mr Yengeni to the full House, it's going to make a mockery of the whole process," Jeffery said.

'We are making a mockery of parliament'

Ginwala agreed that Yengeni should be given the opportunity to face questions, but insisted that since he had made the initial statement to a full sitting of the assembly, he should explain himself in the same forum.

After breaking for half an hour to discuss its position on the issue, the ANC called for a vote on the matter.

Democratic Alliance chief whip Douglas Gibson slated the notion that the issue be resolved by putting it to the vote.

"We are making a mockery of parliament, we're embarrassing parliament," Gibson said.

The ANC and Minority Front defeated the proposal with 24 votes to the 11 votes of the DA, Inkatha Freedom Party, New National Party, African Christian Democratic Party and United Christian Democratic Party.

With acknowledgements to The Cape Argus and www.iol.co.za