Pillow talk in Parliament

THERE were giggles and guffaws in the National Assembly on Wednesday when some MPs made what appeared to be Freudian slips in their contributions on the debate on national morality.

Phrases like “sleeping with a leader” and “straight woman” resulted in alternatively uncontrolled giggles and seconds of uneasy silence. Matters took off when Deputy Health Minister Petrina Haingura complained that she had become the victim of “hostile local media” – which recently reported on her testifying in church that she had had a vision of God telling her, and the rest of Namibia, to repent their sins.In the same breath, Haingura, who was recently elevated to Secretary of the Swapo Women’s Council – not without a little help from Swapo Party President Sam Nujoma, according to reports – said that Swapo and especially Nujoma, had, in her opinion, fallen victim to “political vilification and demonisation” in the media.Haingura then reminded herself and fellow MPs to ask what kind of society they wanted for future generations.”It requires absolute honesty …we must set a good example for our youth.It is only when the actions of us, the elders, speak loudly with respect and decency that we can expect to be emulated by our youth.In other words, we must set a good example in all our doings: what we say during the day should also be repeated in the night,” she said with conviction.At that stage, ripples of laughter could already be heard from both sides of the House.Local and Regional Government Minister John Pandeni, who is also Swapo’s Deputy Secretary General, then rose with a straight face and asked Haingura: “Who should judge morality, we ourselves or the community?” At that moment Gender Equality and Child Welfare Minister Marlene Mungunda stood up to raise a point of order.”I rise as a straight woman …,” she started off, and the giggles intensified to loud laughter.”Honourable Member, be careful of what you are saying, your choice of words…,” Speaker Theo-Ben Gurirab told Mungunda.But there was no stopping Mungunda.”What if it is said we as women sleep with a leader, this is destructive for us women!” Stunned silence followed.”I will go back to my office and discuss that [with you],” Haingura said, concluding her speech by again hitting out at the media.”Honesty is crucial.Often one wonders how people can be so brave to cook up stories and have time and energy just to do that; basically spend all their time to tarnish other people’s names deliberately,” she said.”It is also obvious they are able to do this in collusion with the assistance of the Windhoek-based hostile media against Swapo and some of its leaders,” she claimed.Those tarnishing the good names of others to score political points were digging their own “political graves”, since the truth had a tendency to always come out, Haingura told the House.Her speech climaxed with a plea to fellow MPs “not [to] be moved with dark waves of politicking issues which does (sic) not hold water”.”There is (sic) a lot of challenges which need our attention, not to have sleepless nights for nothing.””What goes around comes around, let us stop this immorality which is growing in our society, not respecting our leaders and our elderly …I rest my case!”Matters took off when Deputy Health Minister Petrina Haingura complained that she had become the victim of “hostile local media” – which recently reported on her testifying in church that she had had a vision of God telling her, and the rest of Namibia, to repent their sins.In the same breath, Haingura, who was recently elevated to Secretary of the Swapo Women’s Council – not without a little help from Swapo Party President Sam Nujoma, according to reports – said that Swapo and especially Nujoma, had, in her opinion, fallen victim to “political vilification and demonisation” in the media.Haingura then reminded herself and fellow MPs to ask what kind of society they wanted for future generations.”It requires absolute honesty …we must set a good example for our youth.It is only when the actions of us, the elders, speak loudly with respect and decency that we can expect to be emulated by our youth.In other words, we must set a good example in all our doings: what we say during the day should also be repeated in the night,” she said with conviction.At that stage, ripples of laughter could already be heard from both sides of the House.Local and Regional Government Minister John Pandeni, who is also Swapo’s Deputy Secretary General, then rose with a straight face and asked Haingura: “Who should judge morality, we ourselves or the community?” At that moment Gender Equality and Child Welfare Minister Marlene Mungunda stood up to raise a point of order.”I rise as a straight woman …,” she started off, and the giggles intensified to loud laughter.”Honourable Member, be careful of what you are saying, your choice of words…,” Speaker Theo-Ben Gurirab told Mungunda.But there was no stopping Mungunda.”What if it is said we as women sleep with a leader, this is destructive for us women!” Stunned silence followed.”I will go back to my office and discuss that [with you],” Haingura said, concluding her speech by again hitting out at the media.”Honesty is crucial.Often one wonders how people can be so brave to cook up stories and have time and energy just to do that; basically spend all their time to tarnish other people’s names deliberately,” she said.”It is also obvious they are able to do this in collusion with the assistance of the Windhoek-based hostile media against Swapo and some of its leaders,” she claimed.Those tarnishing the good names of others to score political points were digging their own “political graves”, since the truth had a tendency to always come out, Haingura told the House.Her speech climaxed with a plea to fellow MPs “not [to] be moved with dark waves of politicking issues which does (sic) not hold water”.”There is (sic) a lot of challenges which need our attention, not to have sleepless nights for nothing.””What goes around comes around, let us stop this immorality which is growing in our society, not respecting our leaders and our elderly …I rest my case!”

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