Mutters over Parliament’s new ‘muzzle’ list

01 April 2016 - 11:48 By TMG Digital

"Zuptagate" can't be unparliamentary. Posing a similar lack of threat to the decorum of the house is "faction".HAPPY APRIL FOOLSA distinction must be made between calling a fellow member of Parliament (MP) or presiding officer "stupid" and describing what he or she has to say as "stupid". This should apply to the word "rubbish" too.These are amongst the submissions made by opposition parties to the Office of the Speaker of the National Assembly following the recent publication for comment of an updated list of "unparliamentary language" for the National Assembly’s Guide to Procedure.The list‚ distributed to party chief whips‚ was‚ Baleka Mbete wrote‚ "updated following recent disruptions to the proceedings of the house".These included a walkout by the Democratic Alliance (DA) and repeated incidences of heckling by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)."Too much time valuable time is being wasted on points of order raised over unparliamentary language‚" Mbete wrote."Chief whips are to distribute the proposed list to their caucuses and submit comments on offensive or unbecoming terms and phrases that should be considered for the list‚ or deleted therefrom.”Once these had been considered and a final updated list approved‚ “it is to be distributed again”‚ and “chief whips are to ensure that members of Parliament acquaint themselves with the list to avoid further disruptions to the work of the house”.The bid to curb trash talk in the legislature included on the list:- " 'Rubbish'...as this impugns the dignity of a member";- " 'Zupta' and 'Zuptagate'...as that matter could be deemed sub judice following criminal charges being laid by an opposition party and a complaint recorded with the Office of the Public Protector..."; and- “ ‘Faction ’…as this term has been used divisively”.The DA said it was "ironic that the ruling party is creating extra‚ unnecessary work for MPs‚ while 8.3-million ordinary South Africans don't have jobs".It also said the Western Cape Provincial Legislature‚ where it held a majority‚ had a shorter list of restricted terms than its national counterpart‚ which encouraged "robust debate" and freedom of expression was tolerated"‚ and it was the country’s most efficient law-making body.Sources said that DA chief whip John Steenhuisen called the new list “rubbish” - in a repeat of the word he controversially used to describe the rulings of National Council of Provinces (NCOP) speaker Raseriti Tau in the State of the Nation Address (Sona) debate.The EFF said Mbete's letter showed the "arrogance" of the African National Congress (ANC)‚ and it was "clear the ruling party was more concerned about parliamentary privilege than the plight of the millions of under-privileged people in the country".The red berets said the words "Zupta" and "Zuptagate" could not be considered unparliamentary as the party did not consider "Mr Jacob Zuma to be a legitimate president and therefore he is not the head of Parliament‚ and he could not be protected by parliamentary procedure"."The EFF won't be muzzled by Mr Zuma's lapdog‚ Speaker Mbete‚" the EFF said‚ noting that‚ according to the current list‚ describing Mbete as a lapdog in Parliament "would not be allowed".Referring to fellow politicians as “dogs – in all breed and sizes” – and other types of animals and insects is particularly frowned upon‚ according to the list."If our revolutionary message is censored in the National Assembly‚ the EFF will say what it wants in the media‚" the party said‚ with the rider "excluding the Gupta-owned The News Age and ANN7‚” the EFF said.The Congress of the People (Cope) took issue with the inclusion of the word “faction” on the list‚ especially considering that NCOP’s Tau had to backtrack after initially ruling the party’s president‚ Mosiuoa Lekota‚ use of it out of order during the Sona debate.“Expecting Cope not to use ‘faction’ show that the ANC’s contention that it is a united party is a fiction‚” the party said.The Freedom Front Plus‚ in its submission‚ raised concerns that‚ according to its study‚ a disproportionate amount of “degrading terminology employed by the bullying ruling party” was directed at it‚ and that it was delivered in Afrikaans.Another suggestion in Mbete’s letter that caused friction was a proposal to “limit the number of points of order a party may raise in the house proportionate to the party’s representation in Parliament”.Politicians had until noon on April 1 to submit their written suggestions.This is an April Fools 2016 story..

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