‘They don’t give a damn’
Speaker at wits’ end amid sniping, vulgarities in provincial legislature
UNPARLIAMENTARY comments, bordering on vulgar, were flung about in the provincial legislature yesterday as provincial MPs resorted to name calling and heckling while debating the Western Cape government’s budget for agriculture.
Speaker Sharna Fernandez had her hands full trying to maintain order as frivolous interjections and running commentary threatened the order in the House.
EFF MPL Nazier Paulsen, the ringleader, kept up a running commentary despite numerous warnings from the Speaker.
Having been ordered out of the House the day before did not stop Paulsen as he accused the Speaker of targeting only him.
“You are just like Baleka Mbete and President Jacob Zuma isn’t even in the house,” he said.
Moments later, ANC MPL Cameron Dugmore rose on a point of order, wanting to know whether it was parliamentary for a member of the House to use the words, “they don’t give a damn”.
Dugmore was referring to a remark by Premier Helen Zille. He had asked the Speaker to request that Zille withdraw the remark.
“It’s really difficult to keep this House to order,” Fernandez said, as she asked the premier whether she had used the term while referring to a member.
Zille stood up, saying: “Yes, madam Speaker, I did say in general about the ANC as a whole they don’t give a damn, because that is true and because we can say it outside the House so there can’t be less freedom of speech inside this House.”
Dugmore said he had an objection to the word “damn”, adding that it was not parliamentary and bordered on crudity.
“I would like you to take this into consideration and come back to the House,” Dugmore told the Speaker.
Moments later, Community Safety MEC Dan Plato raised a point of order, wanting to bring a comment by Paulsen to the Speaker’s attention.
Plato was not keen to use the word in the House, requesting instead to tell the Speaker after the sitting.
Amid the running commentary, Plato told Paulsen: “You have been acting whole day yesterday and today like a spoilt brat, like a child.”
When pressed by the Speaker as to what words Paulsen used, Plato merely said: “He used the p-word.” Paulsen denied this. Plato was backed up by Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela, who said he too heard Paulsen using the word – “a very rude word”.
ACDP MPL Ferlon Christians said: “Speaker, that swear word was directed at me. I’m offended. He said it openly and other members heard. So he must not lie here, he did use that word.”
Asked by the Speaker whether he indeed used the p-word, Paulsen said: “Speaker, I never used the p-word… whatever I said I did not say to anyone.
“I never swore here, this is nonsense. They are lying and this is totally a DA kind of a ploy.”
The Speaker indicated she would revert to Hansard and come back to the House on the matter.
But ANC MPL Siyazi Tyamtyam said it was important when someone raised p-words or w-words, that the House was told what they meant.
“At least some of us don’t know those words,” he added.
Reaching her wits’ end, Fernandez said some of the comments bordered on disgusting.
“I do not expect any member to use any language that is unflattering, whether it’s the p, whether it’s the k, whatever word, you are public representatives”.
And she warned MPLs that there were viewers watching the House debating a p-word and a m-word, when the House should be getting on with the business of nation building. “We have a duty as public reps.”
DA chief whip Mark Wiley insisted the matter be referred to a disciplinary committee, and that the EFF apologise.
In the end Paulsen had to withdraw and apologise for calling the three MPLs liars.
Dugmore wanted the Speaker to make a special appeal to the premier that using words such as “damn” created an environment in which vulgar language was used.