Controversial African National Congress (ANC) MP Johnny de Lange has apologised to members of the joint rules committee for making remarks about the parliamentary presiding officers.
But he stopped short of making individual apologies, which clearly upset National Assembly speaker Frene Ginwala this evening.
The apology before the powerful committee this evening follows his allegations on Tuesday that Ginwala and her National Council of Provinces counterpart Naledi Pandor had used Finance Minister Trevor Manuel’s name to put forward their own agenda on parliament’s budget.
A rattled Ginwala demanded he withdraw the allegation or substantiate it. After De Lange, who is chairman of the justice committee, said he would consult with the finance minister first, Ginwala then adjourned the Tuesday meeting.
The altercation was carried in today’s Announcements, Tabling and Committee reports. The ANC put out a statement saying that decorum had to be restored in the committee.
De Lange said this evening: “I would like to state that I regret having made those remarks and I withdraw them unconditionally. I obviously apologise to this committee for any inconvenience caused in the process.”
But Ginwala and Pandor were this evening clearly not happy with the apology. Ginwala said: “I just want to be very clear because the matter has been reported to the house. The remark concerned … three presiding officers who were at the meeting with Minister Manuel.
“In other words Miss Pandor, the deputy speaker (Baleka Mbete), and Mr (Johannes) Mahlangu (chairperson of committees).
“They also were an attack on the Minister of Finance. So I think we need clarity and a response from all of those people, I was also included although I was not part of the meeting or the document (on parliament’s budget).”
Andries Nel, an ANC MP and deputy ruling party chief whip, sprang to De Lange’s defence: “I believe the words in question have been withdrawn and to the extent to which they impact on any person who is either present or not present at the meeting, I think the withdrawal of the words … stand. “Any party that might have been affected would equally be covered by (it).”
Democratic Alliance (DA) chief whip Douglas Gibson said: “I submit that the deputy Chief Whip of the ANC is absolutely correct. The remarks that were made by Mr de Lange have been withdrawn by him unreservedly and I don’t think we need to chew over them now, they have been withdrawn, and that as far as I’m concerned should be the end of the matter.
“If there are underlying problems those need to be dealt with at some other stage but as far as the Joint Rules Committee is concerned I think the matter is disposed of.”
Pandor then said: “I think there was an unconditional withdrawal but then there was an apology that did not include those persons that were addressed in the remark, so I find that rather unusual.”
She said the apology “seems to imply that the committee members were the affected party but it was those that drafted the report who are the affected party.”
Ginwala, noting that she had complied with the rules, said she would report the matter to the national assembly.
ANC MP Mluleki George, however, said: “I thought the matter was closed and now it doesn’t look like it. It was an apology to the committee and all members affected are members of the committee.”
ANC chief whip Nathi Nhleko said De Lange had been instructed to withdraw the remarks. He had done so. Nhleko called for the meeting to be closed. – I-Net Bridge