ANC on a hiding to nothing over Julius and his overalls

A decision by Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, to storm the Gauteng legislature to protest about its dress code will certainly raise the political temperature.

The ANC, the majority party in the legislature, has refused to allow EFF members to be part of the proceedings - all because their red overalls are deemed inappropriate by the provincial government.

We are, as a nation, duty-bound to ask the ANC what the appropriate dress code for the house is.

The EFF is milking the publicity generated by its actions but the refusal to allow its members into the l egislature is not an intelligent move that will enrich our democracy.

We believe that it is not the attire that counts but the content of the debate and the quality of the decisions the members make. Let the public debate the standing rules on what is appropriate attire at the legislature.

The chaos outside the Gauteng legislature yesterday tells us that we have a long road to travel.

Though we don't agree with some of Malema's tactics, he has a right to be told the reasons for the decision to bar his members. Is there a section of our constitution that talks about "appropriate attire"?

Nelson Mandela defied the Western norm and "colonial culture" by choosing to don casual attire even for official occasions.

He wore a suit in parliament but by wearing his famous "Madiba shirts" on other occasions showed his defiance of "colonial culture" and its prescriptions on how a statesman should present himself in public.

Now that Malema has space around the table, those who should know better deny him the right to be who he is. Why are we not debating this issue?

If it is not appropriate to wear an overall when in attendance at a provincial legislature, then we should be told that the working class is not to be represented in our legislatures.

We cannot afford to be political on issues such as clothing when we have pressing issues causing turmoil on our streets.

The message reaching the streets is that only those with expensive clothes can govern.