Dirk Feldman Matter Referred to National Council of Provinces

Parliament, Friday 27 July 2012 - Parliament's Presiding Officers have decided to refer the matter concerning Mr Dirk Feldman, Congress of the People member of the recent delegation to India who was sent home early, to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).

The Presiding Officers took the decision after reflecting on the issues which led to the joint leaders of the delegation to India - Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Max Sisulu, and Chairperson of the NCOP, Mr Mninwa Mahlangu, - ordering Mr Feldman to return home.

Mr Feldman is a member of the NCOP and was selected to be part of the delegation by the House.

The NCOP has been in contact with Mr Feldman's party about the developments and will be setting up a multi-party committee to look into the issues and to make recommendations to the House.

The matter will be dealt with speedily, while following due process.

The order for Mr Feldman to return home followed an incident aboard a South African Airways flight en route to India, which saw Mr Feldman being briefly detained by the Indian security upon arrival at Mumbai airport.

Mr Sisulu and Mr Mahlangu, who arrived on a different flight to the rest of the delegation, received a report about the incident. After speaking to Mr Feldman, who did not deny the allegations against him, they deemed it both necessary and appropriate to send him home.

Statement issued by Parliament, July 27 2012

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