WITHDRAWAL OF DA, COPE FROM PARLIAMENTARY HEARINGS

The Office of the Chief Whip notes with regret the withdrawal of the Democratic Alliance and COPE from participating in the parliamentary hearings on labour brokers, conducted by the Portfolio Committee on Labour.

The reasons cited by the two alliance partners for the withdrawal are nothing but an attempt to discredit this legitimate process after members of the public came out in strong objection of the practice of labour brokering. It is the tired strategy of the DA members, now unfortunately acquired by those in its new ally, COPE, to concoct lies and rubbish parliamentary processes when things do not go their way.

We reject with the contempt it deserves the claims that this important parliamentary process, which is aimed at seeking public's views on this matter, is a mere formality as a decision has already been taken. This undermines the confidence the people have in Parliament and does a gross disservice to the constituency the two parties claim to represent in Parliament.

We wish all the political parties in the Portfolio Committee well as they continue to conduct these hearings.

Statement issued by The Office of the ANC Chief Whip, ANC Parliamentary Caucus, October 8 2009

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