South Africa

Does liddle-baby-Thabo need protection fwom da big bad man? Don't worry Mamma Mbete's here baby, she'll protect you from the bad man from the DA with his nasty, nasty questions :

National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete has rejected as "outrageous" claims by an opposition MP that she sought to protect President Thabo Mbeki at the expense of parliament's constitutional obligation to hold the executive to account. Mbete's political adviser, Lulamile Mapholoba, said that questions put to members of the executive, including the president, must comply with parliamentary rules and practices. If this did not occur, the question would be disallowed.

Mapholoba was reacting on Friday to a statement issued by DA MP Eddie Trent last week, criticising the Speaker for rejecting a question about whether Mbeki had met the head of Thales International, Jean-Paul Perrier, in May last year. Thales and its South African subsidiary, Thint, are facing trial later this year, along with former deputy president Jacob Zuma, for alleged corruption. Mapholoba confirmed that the question had been disallowed because some of the words used were "sarcastic and hence offensive", and the fact that it was not in order to suggest a member might have acted improperly.

 

Oh boo-friggin'-hoo, if the Prez. can't handle a bit of sarcasm in a question he should get out of politics now. I haven't watched Parliament Live recently but I do remember the boo's and cat-calls that emanated from the ANC back-benchers each time a member of the Opposition was making a speech.

Dry your eyes Baleka, I think that joyride official trip you took to Liberia has clouded your judgement.