20 November 2007

The IFP has gasped at the ANC Chief Whip Cyril Xaba’s idea of conducting another disciplinary procedure against the Leader of the Official Opposition in the light of the disciplinary hearing that is already in progress and going nowhere. 

The much-publicised disciplinary action against Dr Lionel Mtshali for allegedly misleading Parliament in March with revelations about the Premier’s threat of withdrawing government advertising from the Independent Newspapers has been quietly shelved after the IFP published proof of Mr Ndebele’s instruction to all Heads of Department not to advertise in the Sunday Tribune. 

The IFP alleges that the ANC reaches for disciplinary action in Parliament whenever it faces criticism from the Official Opposition. “Rules of the democratic parliament are being twisted to silence political dissent and stifle parliamentary debate,” said Chief Whip of the Official Opposition Henry Combrinck.

The IFP notes that Dr Mtshali has retracted his allegations about the Premier’s private business interests and apologised to Mr Ndebele, thus meeting the requirements laid down by the Premier’s lawyers. “Attaching additional conditions to Dr Mtshali’s retraction and apology shows the ANC’s contempt for conventional legal procedures as well as sheer political opportunism,” said Combrinck. 

That Parliament should devote so much time to Dr Mtshali is, according to the IFP, in itself a vindication of the role the Official Opposition plays in KwaZulu Natal. “The ANC’s obsession with Dr Mtshali is in stark contrast to the truckloads of abuse hurled at the Official Opposition by the ruling party and unnoticed by Parliament’s rules committee,” said Combrinck. 

The IFP views Xaba’s concern about Parliament’s decorum with a pinch of salt. “If ANC-controlled Parliament is so concerned about decorum, why not table and debate the controversial forensic report on mismanagement and overspending in the Department of Agriculture?” – said Combrinck. 

The IFP sees the forensic report as a time-bomb and a cloud over the integrity of provincial government. “It is by delaying a transparent debate about the contents of the forensic report that Parliament has lost decorum and it will not regain it by persecuting the Official Opposition,” said Combrinck. 

Contact: Henry Combrinck, 082 576 7255