Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities Lulu Xingwana, together with her entire delegation, was shown the door in parliament on Wednesday, Beeld reported.
Xingwana’s department was given a postponement in December to report on its turnaround strategy, but the documents MPs were supposed to receive to allow them to ask informed questions were only delivered on Tuesday night.
Furthermore, many of the MPs agreed, the report was a mess. According to parliamentary rules, MPs are supposed to receive documents at least 48 hours before a meeting.
The Democratic Alliance on Wednesday also requested the suspension of Xingwana’s department, and called for her to be axed.
Exasperated MPs, among them ANC members, sent her and her delegation back to the drawing board.
Xingwana apologised on behalf of her department and asked whether she could submit a preliminary report. "This is unacceptable, but the department has worked so hard.”
However, the DA, after quibbling for an hour, walked out of the meeting. DA MP Helen Lamoela said the department was allocated R198.3 million in the 2013/14 financial year, but ”there is nothing to show for it except lavish parties, trips abroad and designer furniture”.
According to Lamoela, the money could have trained 16,000 specialist detectives or built 20 police stations. - Sapa
