Parliament has had an annushorribilis
The House has seen violence and unruliness, writes Craig Dodds
Investigating Unit on Nkandla – between them about 700 pages.
The move was vexatious and frivolous, moaned deputy Education Minister Enver Surty.
It was an attempt to amend the committee’s report and not the ANC motion to adopt it, which was verboten, said deputy Public Works minister Jeremy Cronin. Shivambu persisted. Deputy Home Affairs Minister Fatima Chohan complained he’d been given at least five chances to say what his proposed amendment was – and it was clear he didn’t have one.
Even opposition parties lost patience. Mangosuthu Buthelezi, IFP leader, struggled to his feet to suggest an amendment needed to be in written form.
The ACDP’s Cheryllyn Dudley called on Tsenoli to bring an end to the torment. “We’re all being played for fools. Make a ruling and follow through.”
Still Tsenoli gave Shivambu another chance. “No!” wailed Cronin. Three-and-a-half hours into what should have been a debate of under 80 minutes and with proceedings threatening to unravel, Science and Technol- ogy Minister Naledi Pandor had had enough. “Deputy Speaker, you are confronted by the consequences of not allowing the procedures of the House to be pursued, and they should be in terms of the rules.” She had hit the nail on the head.
After months of relentless pressure, accusations of bias and unprecedented scenes of riot police entering Parliament, Tsenoli was buckling under the strain. He was overcompensating because he was aware the rules had, indeed, been bent and only fastidious fairness stood any chance of preventing a complete implosion of order on Thursday.
One blatant example of selective application of the rules was Mbete’s attempt on the day the Nkandla report was to be adopted to forestall a DA filibuster by trying to limit the time for motions to be proposed. She insisted that she could do this on the authority of the rules and then, in the face of heated opposition, she gave in, but only after ANC chief whip Stone Sizani agreed the business of the day should proceed as usual.
But the most
glaring instance was Zuma’s refusal to appear in Parliament to answer questions – something he had done only once this year, instead of the once per quarter required in the rules – despite Mbete’s assurance after his aborted appearance on August 21 that he would return at the earliest opportunity.
On this question the presiding officers have been silent, while the ANC has offered, variously, either the excuse that opposition unruliness has made it impossible for Zuma to return or a denial that he has shirked this obligation.
A truce brokered by deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa was supposed to have resolved the standoff but both sides appear to have dug in their heels.
Without a doubt, this year has been Parliament’s annus horribilis.
“Have a bad Christmas,” one EFF MP was heard to wish his colleagues as the party trooped out of the National Assembly when sanctions against its members had been adopted. Minus their salaries – they’ve been suspended without pay for between 15 and 30 days.