Praise singer loses voice as ANC MP

BACKBENCHERS do not usually get much podium time in parliament, but Pretty Xaba probably holds a record of sorts.

In four years as an MP, she has addressed the house only twice.

She joined the ranks of the 400 MPs in 2009 with very little formal education, no professional experience and no track record of ANC activism.

She first shot to fame during Jacob Zuma's rape trial in 2006 as the cheerleader who sang Zuma's war cry, Umshini Wami, mock machine-gun in hand. Zuma was acquitted.

As the "Mpepho Lady" - as she was dubbed by the media - Xaba graced many front pages by burning incense during vigils in support of Zuma during the trial in the High Court in Johannesburg.

Then Zuma became president in 2009 and maMkhize, as she is affectionately known, landed the plum job of lawmaker - some believe as a reward for her support.

But her name has become synonymous with what some of her colleagues refer to as the dumbing down of parliamentary standards.

Until she became a politician, Xaba was an assistant at the Dr Mathole Motshekga Primary School in Ivory Park on the East Rand.

As an MP she now earns a basic pre-tax annual salary of R889000, excluding other benefits such as a subsidised state house in Cape Town and airline tickets.

This week she told the Sunday Times that she was having a blast as an MP, "serving society 100%". She in unperturbed by the fact that she is seldom at the podium because there are many other MPs competing for the privilege.

Her first love is going on "oversight" visits.

"I love going out there, talking to people, finding out what their problems are, what has been done for them and what is lacking."

She said the government was doing a sterling job, especially under Zuma.

"Whoever does not recognise the good work done by the ANC is mentally sick. That person needs treatment.

"Wherever you go, there's electricity [and] running water, even in the desert."

Lifting everyone out of poverty would take time, but a lot of good work was being done. "People are ungrateful. They don't thank us for the good work we do. Uplifting people is not like mushrooms that burst into life in one go. Building takes time."

Xaba is attending evening and morning classes to empower herself. She is proud of her recent achievement: scoring 71% in a "leadership and governance" course offered by the University of South Africa to parliamentarians.

"It shows we were all gifted with intelligence, but were oppressed and some of us did not get an education. We are not fools," she said.

She is also attending "English communication" classes in the morning and adult basic education and training level 2 classes in the evenings - the equivalent of Grade 5.

She serves on the social and rural development committees. At the former's meeting two weeks ago, she did not appear to make any meaningful contribution - although she seemed to enjoy her yoghurt while the meeting was in session.

The DA's Emmah More, also a member of the committee, said Xaba often raised interesting topics, especially when she linked national policy issues with her own experience in her former township.

But other MPs, speaking on condition of anonymity, said she could "derail" debates with her off-topic questions. For example, the parliamentary monitoring group captured her contribution to a portfolio committee recently as: "Ms Xaba said that in Midrand in Gauteng there was a huge piece of land owned by people who had since moved to countries such as Australia, Japan and England. She wanted to know what role the South African Local Government Association would play in bringing back that land to South African ownership. The body of a girl abducted from a college had been found on this land. The vacant land was a danger to the community."

Managers of the ANC caucus are aware of her limitations and seemingly shield her from front-line debates.

"She's a good heckler," said a Congress of the People MP.