Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Johannesburg (Agenzia Fides) - “The Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference is concerned about recent events in Parliament on occasion of the President’s address on the State of the Nation” says a statement sent to Fides. On 12 February, during his annual speech to Parliament, President Jacob Zuma was strongly contested by Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), MPs, the opposition party led by Julius Malema, former leader of the youth wing of the African National Congress (ANC), Zuma ‘s own party, calling on the President to explain the expenditure of public money to restructure his private residence in Nkandla (see Fides 4/4/2014). The EFF MPs were forcefully removed from Parliament.
“While it is the right and duty of political parties to hold the executive to account, we question whether it was appropriate for the EFF to use the State of the Nation Address for that purpose” the Bishops write. “At the same time, we believe that the presiding officers acted too quickly in calling in security forces”.
“If those forces were indeed members of the South African Police, then what the nation saw was a serious violation of the sanctity and autonomy of Parliament. The fact that this was authorised by the presiding officers only makes it worse”.
The statement condemns the use of a jamming device to block cellphone signals in the House, because “it is the fundamental right of every South Africa to know what is happening in Parliament, and any attempt to deny us that right violates the Constitution and demeans Parliament”.
The Bishops end reminding Zuma of his responsibility to answer fully and openly the many questions that remain about the expenditure of public money on Nkandla, his private residence, warning that otherwise “such disturbances are likely to be repeated”.
“Twenty years after the achievement of democracy, we deserve better than this” concludes the statement. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 16/2/2015)
