the monitor

Parliament: We Too Can Do Julius

Parliament, that august house where the eminent meet and discuss ways to better our little lives has outdone itself once again. If you think drama is the preserve of the South African parliament think again.

Our MPs have decided they cannot be outdone by a democracy as young as South Africa. This is what unfolded west of Main Mall. A member of parliament called Ignatius seemed to have ignited and activated the speaker’s wrath bones from the depth of his anatomy by talking about how lack of insulin in health facilities in Francistown has resulted in a few deaths.

The speaker promptly switched off the MP’s microphone because apparently that was not the topic under discussion. Switching off the mic is the speaker’s first line of ammunition. When MPs want to disturb protocol and derail parliament they will claim that they have been sent by their constituents as they are representatives of the people.

Editor's Comment
BPF should get house in order

Speaker of the National Assembly, Dithapelo Keorapetse, has this week rightly washed his hands of the mess, refusing to wade into a party squabble that has no clear leadership and no single version of the truth.When a single party sends six different letters to the Speaker’s office, each claiming to be the authoritative voice, it is not just confusion, but an embarrassment.Keorapetse is correct to insist on institutional boundaries. Parliament...

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