MAG's Kosie Pretorius triggered a backlash of near Biblical proportions from Swapo veterans Nahas Angula, Helmut Angula, Hidipo Hamutenya and Jerry Ekandjo when he objected to the Article declaring Namibia a "secular state".

The MAG MP was meant to comment on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Culture, Information and Sport but diverted to note his disagreement.

Said Pretorius: "One of the main reasons why I cannot still agree with the Constitution of Namibia is because of the word 'secular' which slipped into Article 1 (1) of the Constitution."

Nahas Angula interjected saying it was "unparliamentary" for Pretorius to affirm the Constitution on a daily basis during the opening of Parliament and then still oppose the same Constitution.

"How can you affirm and affirm and still disagree with the Constitution? Can the honourable member leave this House with his conscience? I urge him to go to a confessional school to become a newborn Namibian," Angula lamented.

Pretorius also stunned the House when he said he supported President Sam Nujoma's instructions to the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation to stop screening foreign movies and concentrate on "traditional and local movies".

Helmut Angula called for a motion for Pretorius to "leave this House".

"Go in peace and don't sin again. You will be forgiven," he added.
Speaker of the National Assembly Mose Tjitendero stepped in to stop Pretorius from continuing his speech saying it had no relevance to the SADC protocol.

Not before Hamutenya had chipped in and urged the MAG man "to accept the current (constitutional) arrangement".

"You are wasting your time. We will not go back to past (colonial) times," said Hamutenya.

Pretorius later apologised, saying he was not understood well because "my English is not so good enough".

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