Parliamentary disgrace

18 February 2020

Predictably, the State of the Nation Address at the opening of Parliament was disrupted and held up for more than an hour by a small political party, the EFF, representing 10% of the voters.

My wife and I were not there for the disgraceful exhibition; although invited by Opposition Chief Whip Natasha Mazzone as her special guests, we were unable to accept. Perhaps it was just as well. Having served in Parliament for many years, it would have pained me to see the utter contempt which the EFF shows for the rights of MPs and for Parliament.

Wearing their boring red overalls and domestic workers' costumes - a patronising gesture that has worn thin by now - EFF members, led by Julius Malema, showed they care nothing for constitutional democracy

Particularly sad was the contempt displayed towards Speaker Modise. Apart from occupying a key position in a constitutional democracy, she is a kind and decent person with a remarkable record of service in the fight for democracy in our country. To my knowledge, not one of the EFF MPs has a comparable record. They do not believe their elders and betters should be treated politely and with respect. This should not surprise; after all, these are the people who encourage university students to burn down buildings to demonstrate their anger.

They ignore the fact that we all have a constitutional right to peaceful protest but no right to assault guards, burn buildings and vehicles, smash windows and loot shops. No doubt, many of their supporters watching TV approved mightily of the EFF performance, only disapproving of the fact that Parliament was not set alight and burnt to the ground.

The hate-filled treatment of former President de Klerk shocked in its virulence. I never voted for him or his party, but he earned my eternal admiration for his courage and intelligence in bringing Apartheid to an end in 1990. But for de Klerk, South Africa might have endured ten years of civil war, with a huge loss of life. Providence brought him and Nelson Mandela to us at a time when they were able to form an unlikely partnership that changed the course of history. And these hooligans shouted and screamed at him and called him a murderer.

A lot of South Africans regard Pravin Gordhan as something of a hero. I have reservations. He was the Minister of Finance during the Zuma years when our country's economic mess started. Furthermore, Gordhan and then deputy president Ramaphosa were appointed in 2014 to head up the war room aimed at fixing Eskom. Six years later one can see what great fixers they were. But that does not mean the EFF is entitled to insist that unless he is fired the president may not address parliament and the people of South Africa. The effrontery boggles the mind.

Their contemptuous discourtesy towards the president was grossly misplaced. I share the view of many that President Ramaphosa is really not up to the job because he lacks the steel spine needed to govern a difficult country like South Africa. But he is the president. One does not treat him, in parliament or anywhere else, as though he is of no account. He is not a figure of hate or contempt and deserves the courtesy of a hearing, whereafter strong criticism is perfectly justified.

Parliament needs to act firmly. Anti-democratic behaviour cannot go unpunished. The rule of law demands it. If nothing happens many impressionable people may feel that hooliganism is perfectly acceptable. They need to be taught that it is not.

Douglas Gibson is a former opposition chief whip and a former ambassador to Thailand

*This article first appeared in The Star