Ruling party should abide by rules
THE CHAOTIC events in Parliament last week mark a low point for the ANC. We are seeing the ANC’s disintegration before our very eyes.
The ANC and its leadership know this. Why else would the minister for small business, Lindiwe Zulu, act like a playground bully going after another MP by threatening him and calling him out of the chamber.
In so doing, she is expressing her frustration as she sees the ANC losing control.
The ANC is losing control of the economy and it is losing its fight against unemployment.
It is losing the fight for education as our children receive sub-standard schooling.
Its pillaging of the state is out of control and the ANC is frustrated that it cannot hide this. In almost every aspect, the ANC is losing it. And it knows.
It also lost in the last elections which means there are now fewer ANC MPs in Parliament.
In turn, the opposition has grown dramatically.
It’s not so easy for the ANC to steamroll items through Parliament any more.
To make it worse, the DA is not the subservient, deferential opposition the ANC would like.
This role is being played nicely by the NFP (as we saw in Parliament last night), thank you very much.
As the ANC loses its way and its humanity, or ubuntu (not even a call of concern was received from Speaker Baleka Mbete to any of the opposition parties enquiring about the MPs injured last night), so it implements more dictatorial and draconian measures to deal with matters.
Opposition members had their microphones muted yes- terday so their opinions would not be heard or recorded.
As the drama unfolded, the Parliamentary television channel was disconnected.
These are all signs of a governing party unable to confront the fact that it is losing its grip in every way.
Parliament is sovereign and cannot be invaded as an institution. Unbelievably, as members were being physically manhandled and assaulted, the presiding officer at the time, Cedric Frolick, looked on with a smile.
We are in the midst of a constitutional crisis all because of one man, Zuma, who has ANC MPs protecting him.
For the ANC,the people of South Africa do not feature.
For the ANC, they are not important; unless their vote is needed every few years.
President’s appearance is not conditional
I watched the Speaker’s media conference with disbelief as Mbete explained the importance of parliamentary rules.
Of course, only certain rules are respected. Others are ignored – like the one demanding the president account to Parliament at least once a quarter. That rule is sidelined.
Only two weeks ago, the deputy president told Parliament that Zuma would not appear before it until he feels safe to. The president’s appearance in Parliament is not conditional, it is constitutional. And no, Deputy President Ramaphosa it is not a “two-way street” as he told Parliament. For someone who helped craft our constitution, it’s disappointing he doesn’t realise that actually, it is a “one-way street”.
The president must account to Parliament, he has no choice in the matter.