Bhisho raps parties over the knuckles

THE Bhisho legislature ethics committee this week ruled against DA and EFF leaders after investigating their alleged use of “unparliamentary language”.

EFF legislature leader Themba Wele on Tuesday was forced to publicly apologise for using an “unparliamentary term” – amabhulu or boers – when he referred to white people during a July house debate.

In various media platforms, Trollip accused Masualle of “ducking and diving” in answering his questions.

“This proves one thing that the premier has something to hide.

“If there is nothing to hide, why use the legislature to evade answering my questions,” Trollip was reported to have said.

Masualle later laid a complaint with legislature speaker Noxolo Kiviet, claiming he “endured a lot of harm” as result of Trollip’s public comments.

Ethics committee chairwoman Bulelwa Tunyiswa this week said Masualle had approached Kiviet after he had “endured harm” due to comments which portrayed him as “liar and a cheat”.

Delivering her committee’s verdict, Tunyiswa highlighted various print and electronic media reports in which Trollip had accused Masualle of deliberately avoiding answering queries on the Mandela scandal.

“The utterances honourable Trollip made in the public domain suggested there is a lot the premier wanted to hide,” said Tunyiswa.

She added that Masualle felt he deserved an apology because he has been made to look like a dishonest person, who was dodging, avoiding and being shielded from answering questions.

“An impression was created that he is a crook,” she said.

Tunyiswa’s committee ruled Trollip had contravened legislature rules by using unparliamentary language. He was instructed to apologise.

The DA leader however denied implying Masualle was a liar and a cheat, but also refused to apologise until the premier provided answers to his original questions. — asandan@dispatch.co.za