The proposal before the House is for the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee to investigate whether the Minister of Health is fit to hold office. 

The IFP will not support the proposal. 

There are a number of reasons why we do not support the proposal. 

Firstly, we believe there is a clear dividing line between a person's public life and his or her private life. Alleged grounds for requesting the Ad Hoc Committee against the Minister of Health, are based on her private life. We cannot support that. 

Secondly, the allegations which are to form the basis of the proposed Committee's investigation occurred more than thirty years ago. That is a very long time. 

Madame Speaker, how many of us did things in our youth which we would be mortified by, if they came to light now? 

Thirdly, we have in the past fearlessly criticized the Minister of Health whenever we believed that her policies were wrong and failed the constitutional tests. That concerns her public life. We will continue to criticize her policies and the manner in which she performs her duties whenever we deem that our parliamentary duty.  

In fact, at times we are not satisfied that she is a competent Minister.  

But, and that is a very big but, we wish to stay out of her private life. 

We therefore do not support the proposal.