Parliament on Monday will have a new office led by a Sergeant At Arms. Parliamentary counsel, Lizo Ngcongco, said this when responding to a question raised by a member of the House of Chiefs on Wednesday.
Ngcongco told the House that the Sergeant At Arms office would be tasked with keeping law and order in the precincts of the parliament, including the House of Chiefs.
He said the office will enforce all offences that are encompassed in the powers and privileges of both parliament and the House of chiefs Acts.
Parliamentarians and members of the House will no longer report their grievances to the DCEC and the police as has been the case before but would report to the Sergeant At Arms office.
Kgosi Mwakaupi Seemelo of Etsha 6 had wanted to know where such cases emanating from the powers and privileges of the House of Chiefs Act are reported.
On other issues raised by the House, Ngcongco concurred with the House that the penalties of the offences under the above Acts were meager and promised the members of the House that such loopholes would be looked into.
Ngcongco briefed the House on the powers and privileges of members of the House of Chiefs.
The National Aids Coordinating Agency (NACA) also had the day to brief the House on the progress made by the department.
Though acknowledging the progress made by the agency, members of the House complained that they have been left behind in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
They pleaded with NACA to carry them along.
The House unanimously decried the lack of resources in the fight against HIV/AIDS pandemic.
“Because of lack of resources we are seen as not seriously taking part in the fight against the pandemic,” said Kgosi Mosadi Seboko of Bamalete. She said she was willing to work with her people even during the weekends but because of lack of resources, especially transport, she could not reach.
She pleaded with the Department of Information and Broadcasting only to be told the resources were exclusively for the four persons namely the president, his deputy, minister and the members of parliament.
The House also pleaded with NACA to consider paying the HIV/AIDS volunteers and to desist from partying all night long with the ministers and the council secretaries.
The House said such money could be used to strengthen the volunteers’ moral.
For his part, the NACA national coordinator, Chris Molomo, promised the House that he would deliver their grievances to the relevant offices and would report back.
Saturated with new members, the House was also briefed on the general practices of the House. Members of the House were briefed on how to present motions and to debate the bills.
The House of Chiefs resumes (tomorrow) Monday.
