Stefanus Nashama
Speaker of the National Assembly, Peter Katjavivi, said the deputy leader of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) and Member of Parliament, Henny Seibeb will answer to the Standing Committee on Standing Rules after he threatened to beat up the Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni.
Seibeb made the remarks during a parliamentary session, after Uutoni expressed that he would be visiting Karasburg. Katjavivi said the matter was referred to the Standing Committee in terms of Rule 112.
Katjavivi said he made a ruling that Seibeb withdraws the use of unparliamentary language which he declined and instead opted to walk out of Parliament.
“As per the recordings, the members used unparliamentary language. This matter now stands referred to the Standing Committee on Standing Rules and Order and Internal Arrangements in terms of Rule 112,” he said.
Seibeb will face the committee because he said that the LPM will organize to beat up and intimidate Minister Uutoni during his visit to Karasburg.
Last week, the LPM claimed that Katjavivi and the Parliament executive are destroying the Parliamentary democracy in the country.
According to the LPM Spokesperson, Lifalaza Simataa, Seibeb was verbally abused and threatened by several ruling party members of Parliament, in particular, by Lucia Witbooi, Hilma Nicanor, and Vincent Mareka during the Parliament debate last week Monday.
“It appears that now suddenly the Speaker does not have eyes and ears to see and hear all evil until when it suits him and when it specifically pertains to Swapo members of Parliament. He took the adage to see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil to another level,” Simataa said.
He said LPM is not surprised by the way the Speaker is treating Seibeb, adding that it has happened before during the State of the Nation Address when he, Katjavivi removed LPM Members from Parliament and went to persecute them arbitrarily.
He further said the conduct exhibited during parliamentary debates and discussions by the Speaker undermines democratic values and raises concerns of authoritarianism and impropriety.
Simataa stated that it is biased and imperative to assess the legal basis of Katjavivi’s ruling as they seem to unjustly criminalize LPM Members for fulfilling their democratic duties in Parliament.
“We continue to say that the Speaker is biased and is conducting himself in a manner that is not impartial as Bernadus Swartbooi submitted two notes to him on the conduct of other members of parliament, yet he disregarded them without acknowledgement or consideration of their contents. This highlights a clear instance of bias and unreasonableness, especially when compared to his treatment of Nicanor’s notes of the same nature that led to Seibeb being identified and targeted,”Simataa said.
