Times Of Swaziland: DPM, 7 MINISTERS KICKED OUT OF PARLIAMENT

DPM, 7 MINISTERS KICKED OUT OF PARLIAMENT
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BY SIBONGILE SUKATI on 16/11/2017 08:57:00


LOBAMBA – With ‘tails tucked between their legs’ is how the acting prime
minister (PM) and seven other ministers unceremoniously exited Parliament
yesterday.
The acting PM, Paul Dlamini and his ministers were immediately kicked out of the
House of Assembly by Members of Parliament (MPs). This was after the MPs had
demanded the payment of the monthly elderly grants for those who turned 60 in
April 2017 and the outstanding Phalala Fund bill of E170 million, at least as at
September 2017. The motion which led to the Executive being kicked out of the
august House was moved by Matsanjeni North MP Phila Buthelezi. At the start of
the sitting, which was around 3pm, the Speaker, Themba Msibi, said MP Buthelezi
had a motion which he had approached his office on. Buthelezi then took the
floor and said he had a House motion which was not directed to any minister.
“There are two issues that I want addressed by the House, which is the
non-payment of the 60-year-old gogos and mkhulus who turned 60 years this
year,” said Buthelezi. He said the other issue was that of Swazi patients who
qualified for the Phalala Fund who were not paid for by government and other
patients who were stuck in South Africa because government had failed to pay
their medical bills.
Buthelezi proposed to the House that it stops all business and adjourns until
the issues were addressed. However, Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo
suggested that the issues be directed to Cabinet because they could not just
suspend House business. He was supported by Ludzeludze MP Bambumuti Sithole who
said the motion should be directed to the Executive Arm of government, not just
the MPs. Nkwene MP Sikhumbuzo Dlamini, who was the seconder of the motion, also
wondered why Buthelezi was directing the motion to the House instead of the DPM
who was the acting PM in the absence of the substantive Sibusiso Barnabas
Dlamini. At this point, Hosea MP Thulani Masuku suggested that the ministers be
asked to leave the House because if they were given a time frame, they would not
address these pertinent issues. “I have been with this government for a while
and if we give them a time frame, they will not implement anything, so the House
should just adjourn,” said Masuku.
However, Msibi said the motion should be better structured because he could not
just say the House should adjourn as there was a lot of Parliament business. The
suggestions then started pouring in with Khubutha MP Njabulo Mabuza stating that
the issues raised were of national concern and therefore Cabinet should be given
a time frame to address the issues. The MPs eventually agreed that the motion
should call for the ministers to immediately address the issues before any other
business was undertaken. Manzini North MP Jan Sithole said in all the speeches
that His Majesty had presented from the Throne, he had always highlighted the
importance of the welfare of the elderly. He said the House had consistently
highlighted the importance of the elderly being taken care of as evidenced by
the constant debates on having the grants being increased from E240 to E400.
“Government entered into a legally binding obligation that all people who
turned 60 would qualify for the grant and government should have budget for this
and included the new elderly,” said MP Sithole. He said that the other elderly
were excluded was an injustice in the highest order because all Swazis had
national identity cards and government should have the data and budget for the
new batch of the elderly. “Cabinet should just go to Mbabane and address this
now,” said Sithole.