DPM, 7 MINISTERS KICKED OUT OF PARLIAMENT

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.

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