Swazi Observer

FULL STORY

LAWSUITS FROM PARLIAMENT DEBATES WORRY MP MOTSA

By Mbono Mdluli | 2018-03-20

Mangcongco MP Patrick ‘Pha’ Motsa is worried about a negative trend that is now affecting MPs as they do their jobs.

Motsa stood on Standing Order 58 to register his concern to House of Assembly Speaker Themba Msibi.

He said the trend of MPs being threatened with lawsuits as a result of submissions they made while inside the chambers of Parliament was very worrying. The MP said this from a report that was carried on Sunday by one of the local weekly newspapers.

The report was that former Swazi TV CEO Bongani ‘S’gcokosiyancinca’ Dlamini wrote a letter of demand to Zombodze Emuva MP Titus Thwala. Dlamini demanded E1.8 million from the MP because of a submission Thwala is said to have made, which Dlamini found to have been defamatory.

Motsa said this was the second instance that an MP would be served with a letter of demand. Nkwene MP Sikhumbuzo Dlamini was also served with a letter from lawyers of Prime Minister Dr. Sibusiso Dlamini. The Nkwene MP was challenged on submissions he made last year about the prime minister. The Mangcongco legislator told the speaker that he was now worried about the precedent the country was setting. He wondered if the international community would still look at the country in a positive manner, following the trend the country seemed to be taking. Motsa even suggested that Attorney General Sifiso Khumalo should help them on the matter. However, Msibi said the matter could not be debated yesterday in the House because the legislators still had to pass the budget.

He said the matter would be deliberated during the next sitting of the House.

“Other MPs came to my office to raise their concerns on what you are talking about. We need to talk about it after the budget. This is a straight-forward matter, which can be debated even in the absence of the attorney general,” Msibi said.

share story