IFP: ANC'S CONVENIENT AMNESIA OVER DALAI LAMA

The press has reported on a statement issued by the ANC Parliamentary Caucus styling the court application on the Dalai Lama's visa as "astonishing silliness".

The court application was launched on Monday jointly by COPE President, Mr Mosiuoa Lekota, and IFP President, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi. The core of the ANC's argument is that we should have raised the issue in Parliament, rather than through the court system.

Obviously the ANC bears no memory of the past and pays no attention to what happens in Parliament.

In reaction to the first refusal of a visa to the Dalai Lama, the entire Opposition came to Parliament wearing white Tibetan scarves and raised a barrage of issues, motions and Members' statements, which were met with absolute silence and lack of comment from anyone in the ANC benches, including Members of the Executive.

On that occasion, Parliament displayed its complete incapability of dealing with sensitive issues. The ANC went so far as to stop the publication of the motion of condemnation, in favour of Tibet, which our member, Dr MGR Oriani-Ambrosini, read in Parliament.

This is unprecedented and against procedure, because once a motion is read and nobody objects to it in the House, parliamentary staff has no authority to prevent its publication in the record of what was said and done in Parliament. But this shows how the ANC Parliamentary Caucus has no backbone when dealing with this issue.

It has taken no steps whatsoever to redress the first occurrence. This is proven by the fact that the second time around the Executive repeated the same wrongful and illegitimate conduct by ducking and diving to deny a visa to the Dalai Lama without ever making a decision on the matter. This is outrageous.

This issue has created domestic and international outrage. If the ANC Parliamentary Caucus believes that it is "astonishingly silly" to take it to court where redress can be found, it obviously shows that on this occasion, as in respect of the Secrecy Bill, the ANC could not give a damn about what the people of South Africa actually think and want. Shame on them.

Statement issued by Mr Albert Mncwango MP, Inkatha Freedom Party, October 20 2011

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