Politics: Senators and MPs opt for the private sector
Marion Edmunds
Many members of Parliament and senators have decided to give up politics after 1999. For some, politics is a life- long calling — for others, it is a stepping stone to greater things.
The ANC’s chief whip in Parliament, the Rev Arnold Stofile, is encouraging MPs and senators to enroll in part- time university courses so they are better placed to seek jobs after 1999, should they not return to parliament as the elected representatives of the people.
While the numbers of students in parliament are not known, insiders say many parliamentarians have taken up this option.
“It’s obvious 1999 will see a different group of MPs,” Stofile said this week. “Some will come back, but others will not … most of us arise from the struggle and have no profession … these energies must be used to find skills.”
It is clear some MPs do not need to be encouraged to look outside parliament for better pickings in the private sector.
Insiders have hinted that African National Congress MP Saki Macozoma might resign this week and take up a corporate post.
He has resigned his position as chair of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications, in the meantime, as he considers his options.
And on the opposition benches, National Party
MP Francois Jacobz announced his resignation from politics this week so that he could pursue his business interests.
He follows Tobie Meyer, who is going farming, and Leon Wessels, who wants a legal career.
ANC insiders say senators, in particular, have their eye on the job market, given the Senate is likely to be replaced by the Council of Provinces, and there will not be the same number of seats available after 1999.
While Stofile is encouraging his parliamentarians to look ahead, he is also concerned about improving their performance while still in parliament.
A number of MPs are doing management and self- improvement courses, “a mixture of Dale Carnegie and voice projection”, according to an insider.
Stofile has also employed two full-time clerks to simplify legislation and explain issues to MPs who, after two years in government, are still struggling to understand the parliamentary process.
Stofile says the party would like to employ, funds permitting, an adult educator, to teach the parliamentarians administrative and book-keeping skills so that they could better run their constituency offices and their private lives.
And should the budget stretch further, Stofile said he would like to appoint one more person: a counsellor who could help the stressed out, disoriented MPs cope with the burden of their jobs.
“We need a person who can sit down and counsel them on their private problems. Many of our MPs came straight from prison and from exile and have hardly had the time to settle into normal
living before being thrown into parliament.
I know of seven marriages which have broken up because of this,” he said.