South Africa’s bishops decry parliamentary chaos

February 17, 2015

South Africa’s bishops have decried the chaos that erupted in the nation’s parliament during President Jacob Zuma’s recent state of the union address.

Members of parliament from an opposing political party decried the president’s alleged corruption, a fight broke out, and cell phone signals were jammed.

“To witness the disruption of our chief democratic institution, followed by the needlessly aggressive actions of the security forces called in to remove [opposition] MPs, leaves us deeply perturbed,” the bishops said in a February 16 statement.

“We also strongly condemn the use of a jamming device to block cellphone signals in the House,” they added. “It is the fundamental right of every South Africa to know what is happening in Parliament, and any attempt to deny us that right violates the Constitution and demeans Parliament.”

“Twenty years after the achievement of democracy, we deserve better than this.”

 

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Further information:

• Statement on the Chaos in Parliament on the Occasion of the State of the Nation Address from the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC)
• South Africa opposition wants inquiry into parliament 'censorship' (Reuters)