KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Parliament yesterday witnessed an extraordinary spectacle.

Contrary to the information contained in the Order Paper, which anticipated a ministerial speech on the subject of conservation, the ANC Minister of Agriculture, Professor LBG Ndabandaba, launched into a lengthy litany of his Department's achievements in the field of agriculture. Conservation was barely mentioned.

The Chief Whip of the IFP intervened three times to expose the blatant disregard for the parliamentary rules. The Speaker erred by allowing Ndabandaba to continue.

"The IFP is incensed by such arrogance on the part of a KwaZulu-Natal MEC," said IFP Chief Whip Henry Combrinck MPP who also holds his party's portfolio on conservation.

Combrinck also said:

"Parliament's oversight role was severely compromised. The MEC's are accountable to us in Parliament. We in the IFP wish this was made clear to Minister Ndabandaba for future reference.

"The IFP is of the opinion that the Minister's farcical speech on agriculture renders today's debate about conservation issues redundant and irrelevant."