FINALLY, SOME DIGNITY AND DECORUM HAS BEEN RESTORED IN PARLIAMENT

A VERY welcome spirit of reconciliation permeated Parliament as apologies flowed from left, right and centre as we wrapped up another shameful week for our body politic.

Let us hope that the “honourable members”, some of whom DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone rightly described as not deserving of the title, will from now on behave.

It was a pity Julius Malema was drowned out when he stood up to respond to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s apology to him and his family.

But, had he been a regular churchgoer, Malema would have remembered that, as Professor Hlengiwe Mkhize put it, no one gets up to speak after the priest’s sermon.

He should have asked for special permission to respond and apologise live.

But you’ve got to hand it to Ramaphosa.

The president delivered a good sermon and brought back some dignity and decorum to that formerly august house. He showed real leadership, acting like the bigger man he is.

All South Africans – including FW de Klerk and others in various camps of this divided nation – can do well to heed Ramaphosa’s plea: “A re beheng fasi marumo” (let us put down the spears).

But all’s well that ends well. Perhaps our leaders can now focus on the humongous job at hand – fixing our economy while doing everything to eradicate gender-based violence instead of using it as a political football.

Let’s hope the prevailing peace and sanity will continue next week when the Budget is delivered.