Saturday, February 8, 2025

Speaker sitting on controversial Hansard

BY THOBO MOTLHOKA

The Office of Speaker of the National assembly seems to have taken an exception to sharing a particular Hansard in which some members of parliament, including ministers, exchanged expletives on the floor of parliament recently. In a curious move that seems to suggest the Speaker was protecting those involved from further public ridicule, the Office of the Speaker chose not to follow normal procedure to share with the media and Members of Parliament, the Hansard for July 31st, 2019. They elected rather to release subsequent Hansard for the remaining sittings of the last Meeting of the 11th Parliament. Attempts by Sunday Standardto get a copy of the Hansard from the National Assembly Public Relations Office proved futile.  The Hansard in question includes various unflattering, yet hilarious remarks by Members of Parliament during the debate on the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Bill.

Unity Dow vs Haskins Nkaigwa- The usually calm and collected Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation lost her cool when the Gaborone North Legislator accused her of “stealing money from the Ministry of Education” during her tenure. “…this House will be out of order fa re ka tlogela Nkaigwa a bua jaaka a bua are, ke utswile madi kwa Education mme a sena bosupi. Dow complained to Deputy Speaker Molatlhegi. “O (Nkaigwa) ne a ntshupa a re, “wena o didimale, o utswile madi kwa Education.” Jaanong ke ne ke re this House will be out of order fa re ka tlogela Nkaigwa a sala ka mafoko a, ka gore ga ke ise ke bue sepe ka gore e rile a sena go utswa P20 000, a bo a ya go peitiwa kwa Mochudi kwa ngakeng gore fa a tswa kwa a bo a tla e nna Moruti,” Dow hit back, adding “Dilo tseo re a di itse. Jaanong ga ke bue ka moo ka gore I will be out of order fa ke ka tlhalosa gore go tlile jang gore a nne moruti.”

Dorcas Makgato threatens to sue Nkaigwa’s **s: It is sad for people who are Members of this House and they are Honourable, to continue to build into people’s minds and hearts gore go huma magodu le batho ba ba corrupt fela… Honourable Nkaigwa, o kgoreletsa tsamaiso ya Ntlo e rraetsho. Ga ke batle go go kgalemela gape.  I am just going to let him to continue to be a class clown and an idiot. I am quite happy, I will dare him. I am going to dare him today. Gore go na le gore a tsamaye a ye go bala maaka a a dirilweng ke ene mo teng ga Facebook aAntiretroviral (ARVs) because I told him to his face gore ke maaka a gago. …Gape go tlaa thusa go farologanya batho ba ba ratang ditlontlokwane e le Mapalamente, ba akanya gore ka go tsamaya ba senya batho maina, go raya gore ke gone o a bong o le kemedi. Ke gore ga ke itse gore ene yo, if I could lift his privileges tsa Palamente, and sue him gore a aketse Palamente a re ke utswile Antiretroviral (ARV), o ya go ikutlwa jang? I will win against you because I do not sell ARVs, I have never sold ARVs. O bone gore the best thing for you to try and get people to believe ke gore you will howl as much as you can in Parliament and hope one daygo tlaa nngaparela. Ga go ka ke ga nngaparela, mme gape ka fa o re o moruti. Nkaigwa ke ngwana fela yo o kgakala le go ka leka to intimidate me, yo o ka lekang gore because… go ka ntira sengwe. Maaka ga a ise a ko a age motse. Fa o bua maaka, ke tlile go go bolelela gore o bua maaka, and if you continue on this thing, I will sue your ass, I am telling you. If you continue with this thing, I sill sue your ass.

Mogoditshane MP Sedirwa Kgoroba questions Vice President Slumber Tsogwane’s experience: ke a tshwenyega tota ka gore Honourable Tsogwane dingwaga tse a di ntseng mo Palamenteng, o ka bo a le Speaker gone foo, e bile ke Vice President, mme ditsamaiso tsa Palamente after 20 years o santse a sa di itse, mme e le Vice President. Nnyaa, selo se se a tshwenya.

Makgato accuses UDC MPs of acting like they are being held by the …: MAKGATO:Nnyaa Mr Speaker, ke batla go bua le wena. I rise on a point of order, thisbusiness ya gore e re Boko a bua, bo Nkaigwa ba bo ba tlola o kare ba tshwerwe ke sengwe, bo (Shaun) Ntlhaile, go sa itsiwe gore gatwe ba diragalelwa ke eng.Simply because Honourable Boko is speaking, why is that? No, you cannot allow them to howl when I speak.

And Ntlhaile responds to Makgato: … ke a bona gore golo fa o kare go tsewa matlhakore. Jaanong re gomagomediwang gore re se ka ra bua. Ke batla gore Mr Speaker, go tlhamalale. Mo Setswaneng, Setswana se tlhamaletse, fela fa o re o kare o tshwerwe jaana, and ke batla gore tape eo e tswe Mr Speaker, e e neng e supa Honourable Makgato a bua gore o kare ke le tshwere jaana, e tswe re e bone, a retract dilo tse a di buileng.

Gabane-Mmankgodi MP Pius Mokgware worried about overnight success and dinners at Room 52- Re kgona go bona fela a clerk e e leng gore tiro ya gagwe mo procurement ke go tsaya files a di isa kwa, a bo a huma fela ka tsela e e gakgamatsang. Re bo re ipotsa gore ene o tsaya kae dilo. Re kgona go bona motho a tsene mo Palamenteng e a tla a sena le fa e le sepe, a na le koloi e le nngwefela, within a year o setse a humile e bile o na le dikoloi tse tharo tse di fetang bo P1 million; ke gore three vehicles worth P3 million. O a bo a di tsere kae? Fa o lebelela salary ya gagwe gore o ntse a amogela bokae, le matshelo a a a tshelang, le kwa a jang teng kwa Room 52, o bona gore ga a ka ke a afford dilo tse di ntseng jaana. Dilo tse di ntseng jaana Minister… Room 52 ke hotel nngwe e teng ka kwa Central Business District (CBD) ka kwa, kwa batlotlegi ba ba tletseng fa ba jang teng. Bontsi jwa bone fa o batla go ba bona, o tlaa ya teng koo.

Leader of Opposition Duma Boko’s fond memories of the late Maitshwarelo Dabutha:The third and last critical issue is this, and I have said astronomical levels of corruption have taken place. It reminds of that statement by Rre Maitshwarelo Dabutha, God bless his Christian bones wherever they lie, go sena go tsewa bo mmant┼íhe ba tsenngwa ka dipolase. E rile fa Batswana ba ngongorega go bo gotwe, “nnyaa, jaanong Motswana mongwe le mongwe o ka rua bo mmant┼íhe!” Dabutha a bo a re, “a go bulelwe ba ba tlhatlhetsweng mo dipolaseng, re simolole go alola bo mmant┼íhe golo go le gongwefela. Le se ka la ba tsaya la ba teratelela, go tsweng foo le bo le re re ba alole, le raya re alola ba fe?” Now, on that same analogy, those who have had all the time in the world, have amassed their wealth, now we introduce this legislation without a requirement that says, whatever you declare; you must account, you must explain and in the absence of an explanation, you must forfeit.

When Agriculture Minister Fidelis Molao seems to call Selebi Phikwe West Dithapelo Keorapetse Boko’s poodle: …but the Leader of the Opposition and the little…poodle here… No, I spoke about a poodle, I did not name anybody. If somebody believes I am referring to him as a poodle, then I cannot help it. If the shoe fits, it is not my problem.

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