MPs hurl angry words across floor

DEBATE on a motion that Government should allocate funds to political parties for every by-election erupted into a fracas in Parliament on Thursday despite the Speaker’s warning to members last month to “debate issues, not persons”.

Deputy Regional and Local Government Minister Kazenambo Kazenambo accused the Congress of Democrats (CoD) of stealing Government cheques for party funding from each other, while Finance Minister Saara Kuugongelwa- Amadhila accused the DTA of having had millions in a slush fund from the apartheid South African government for the 1989 elections. DTA Vice President Philemon Moongo said in his motion that opposition parties were so poorly funded that they often could not afford to contest in regional and local authority by-elections or when new towns were proclaimed and new town councils had to be elected.”Since Independence there were over 20 by-elections.This needs special attention if the Government funding was meant to strengthen democracy and allow small parties to participate in by elections and to avoid rich political parties to monopolise them,” Moongo argued, hinting at Swapo, which has 53 seats in the National Assembly, plus six Swapo MPs appointed by the President, against 19 MPs occupying the opposition benches.He mentioned a local election for the newly proclaimed town of Omuthiya – postponed due to objections to the voters’ roll – and the Eenhana regional by-election set for March 29.Education Minister Nangolo Mbumba said Moongo was pre-empting the budget debate, while DTA backbencher McHenry Venaani interjected that the over 40 Government Ministers and their deputies could use their official vehicles for election campaigns.Regional Government and Housing Minster John Pandeni was of the opinion that the DTA motion was “undercover”.His deputy, Kazenambo, then at the top of his voice criticised the two rivalling CoD factions for accusing each other of taking Government cheques meant for their party.”It then goes so far that the one faction (of CoD) accuses the other of stealing cheques,” he yelled.Nora Schimming-Chase of the CoD rebel faction rose and accused Kazenambo of always hurling personal attacks at members in the House.”In the case of Swapo and stealing cheques it might come to millions of dollars,” she stated.”Don’t scratch where it does not itch, it might hurt in the end,” she said to him in Afrikaans.At this point the cacophony of interjections from both sides of the chamber reached such a level that the Speaker had to make use of his gavel to calm matters down.”I spoke to you at the first session after Parliament opened in February and asked you to debate issues and not persons,” Speaker Theo-Ben Gurirab said.”During the long recess I thought you would reflect on your duties, but you go back to your old habits,” he criticised the MPs.To end the unpleasant situation, Minister Albert Kawana adjourned the debate to April 9.In the previous financial year, Government funding for political parties came to N$16,3 million, although N$16,4 million was planned, according to the latest budget document.For the new financial year, April 2008 to March 2009, an amount of N$17,6 million is planned.The lion’s share usually goes to the ruling Swapo Party, which has 53 elected MPs in the House.Calculated at N$226 916 per seat, this comes to approximately N$12 million for Swapo and about N$1,2 million for CoD, which has five MPs.DTA Vice President Philemon Moongo said in his motion that opposition parties were so poorly funded that they often could not afford to contest in regional and local authority by-elections or when new towns were proclaimed and new town councils had to be elected.”Since Independence there were over 20 by-elections.This needs special attention if the Government funding was meant to strengthen democracy and allow small parties to participate in by elections and to avoid rich political parties to monopolise them,” Moongo argued, hinting at Swapo, which has 53 seats in the National Assembly, plus six Swapo MPs appointed by the President, against 19 MPs occupying the opposition benches.He mentioned a local election for the newly proclaimed town of Omuthiya – postponed due to objections to the voters’ roll – and the Eenhana regional by-election set for March 29.Education Minister Nangolo Mbumba said Moongo was pre-empting the budget debate, while DTA backbencher McHenry Venaani interjected that the over 40 Government Ministers and their deputies could use their official vehicles for election campaigns.Regional Government and Housing Minster John Pandeni was of the opinion that the DTA motion was “undercover”.His deputy, Kazenambo, then at the top of his voice criticised the two rivalling CoD factions for accusing each other of taking Government cheques meant for their party.”It then goes so far that the one faction (of CoD) accuses the other of stealing cheques,” he yelled.Nora Schimming-Chase of the CoD rebel faction rose and accused Kazenambo of always hurling personal attacks at members in the House.”In the case of Swapo and stealing cheques it might come to millions of dollars,” she stated.”Don’t scratch where it does not itch, it might hurt in the end,” she said to him in Afrikaans.At this point the cacophony of interjections from both sides of the chamber reached such a level that the Speaker had to make use of his gavel to calm matters down.”I spoke to you at the first session after Parliament opened in February and asked you to debate issues and not persons,” Speaker Theo-Ben Gurirab said.”During the long recess I thought you would reflect on your duties, but you go back to your old habits,” he criticised the MPs.To end the unpleasant situation, Minister Albert Kawana adjourned the debate to April 9.In the previous financial year, Government funding for political parties came to N$16,3 million, although N$16,4 million was planned, according to the latest budget document.For the new financial year, April 2008 to March 2009, an amount of N$17,6 million is planned.The lion’s share usually goes to the ruling Swapo Party, which has 53 elected MPs in the House.Calculated at N$226 916 per seat, this comes to approximately N$12 million for Swapo and about N$1,2 million for CoD, which has five MPs.