Speaker must investigate removal of member of the public from committee meeting

The DA is dismayed by the acting Defence and Military Veterans Portfolio Committee Chairman, Alpheus Maziya's, unjustified victimisation and ejection of a member of the public due to their appearance during yesterday's committee meeting.

While the DA believes that both members of the public and MPs should respect the decorum of Parliament, the behaviour of the committee was demeaning. Rudely referring to him as a "male child in shorts and tattoos", the Chair and members of the ANC ridiculed the man in question before forcing him out of the meeting.

The DA will write to The Speaker of the National Assembly, Max Sisulu, and request that he immediately investigates this incident, especially in view of the fact that Parliament is currently finalising its model on public participation.

Section 8(2) of the National Assembly Guide to Procedure stipulates that committees "may not exclude the public, including the media, from a sitting of a committee unless it is reasonable and justifiable to do so in an open and democratic society."

We believe that the Chair's conduct was a contravention of Section 8. Furthermore, it was not only unbecoming, but overstepped his authoritative bounds.

Parliament should be open to the public and conduct its business in a manner free of secrecy and discrimination.

Statement issued by Sandy Kalyan MP, Democratic Alliance Deputy Chief Whip, October 11 2013

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter