"ALEX MAFIA" MUST BE DEBATED DESPITE LEGISLATURE BAN
The banning of the term "Alex Mafia" by the Speaker of the Gauteng Legislature Ms Lindiwe Maseko is a crude attempt to stifle free debate about corruption in the Gauteng Provincial Government.
It shows how desperate the ANC is to avoid the exposure of corruption, especially anything that could be linked to friends and associates of Mr Paul Mashatile, the ANC's Gauteng Chairperson.
It follows the passing of new rules in the Legislature that will limit allegations made by members even in press statements to the media.
ANC MPL Hope Papo first objected to mention of the "Alex Mafia" in my speech on the Premier's opening address in February this year. The Speaker's ruling comes after my colleague Dr Gavin Lewis said that the Blue IQ agency was "used to hide the Alex Mafia's dodgy motorsports and other schemes".
Dr Lewis is arguably right in this assessment, and he should have the right to say so in the Legislature.
The Speaker has wrongly relied solely on an Oxford dictionary definition that mafia refers to a "secret criminal organization involved in international drug-dealing, racketeering, gambling and prostitution".
Many dictionaries include the use of mafia to mean "any small powerful or influential group in an organization or field; clique" (Dictionary.com) or "A tightly knit group of trusted associates, as of a political leader" (The Free Dictionary).
Reference has often been made in the media to the frequency with which a small number of known friends of Mashatile have time and again received lucrative contracts.
This is what has come to be known as the "Alex Mafia" but MPLs are now banned from saying this in the House.
Even worse is the Speaker's ruling that "no allegation of a defamatory or incriminatory nature could be made by any member against MECs, an organisation for which an MEC is responsible for, members or parties, unless a member could provide the Speaker with substantial factual evidence, together with prima facie proof of its authenticity."
Should such statements be made in the house in the future, the member would be required to withdraw them, and the utterances would be expunged from the legislature's record (see full ruling here).
This is the stuff of fascism. MPLs now have less freedom to speak outside the Legislature than inside the Legislature despite the constitutional provision of parliamentary privilege.
Under the new rules, a member who refuses to withdraw a statement will be suspended for five days during which he may not say anything in his/her capacity as an MPL. Breach of this provision will lead to further periods of suspension, effectively silencing an elected representative of the people.
It is totally unconstitutional and reflects the poor legal advice received by the Speaker.
The DA will challenge this in every way that we can, including if necessary application to the Constitutional Court.
The public can be assured that I will not be intimidated in exposing corruption by shadowy politically connected networks that are costing this province dearly with wasteful contracts.
Statement issued by Jack Bloom MPL, DA Gauteng Corruption Spokesman, December 9 2010
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