KINGDOM OF LESOTHO
NINTH PARLIAMENT
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Daily Hansard
(Official Report)
FOURTH MEETING
FIRST SESSION
Monday
14th November, 2016
(Unrevised)
National Assembly
Monday, 14th November, 2016
The House assembled at 2:30pm
(RT. HON.MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair)
PRAYER
The Chaplain led the House in Prayer
HON. M. MALIEHE (Butha-Buthe): Ntlha ea tsamaiso, Mohlomphehi Motsamaisi oa Lipuisano.
RT. HON. MADAM SPEAKER: Lula fatše, Setho se Khabane, ke tla u fa sebaka.
Litho tse Khabane, ka Labohlano le fetileng la la 11 Pulungoane ka mona ka Lekhotleng la Sechaba ho etsahetse taba eo ho neng ho se bonolo ho e utloisisa ka nako eno eo e neng e etsahala ka eona. Eona ke ea hore e be amang a Matona a Khabane a tloha moo a neng a ntse a lula teng me ebe a ea moo a iphatlalalitseng a se a eo lula hona teng . Taba ena ea Matona a Khabane e qalile ho ba le moelelo hamorao hona letsatsing leo ha ho hlaella hore Matona ao a itokollotse Lekhotleng la Matona (Cabinet).E leng hore ruri tatellano(sequence) eo lintho li etsahalang ka eona ke ntho ea bohlokoa haholo. Ke sa imamella taba tsena tse etsahetsengme ke tla etsa qeto (ruling). Ke mpa ke kopa feela bohle ho ba hlokolosi mabapi le liqeto tseo ba li nkang ka mona ka Ntlong.
Taba e ngoe ke hore hona ka Labohlano, Ofisi ea Motsamaisi oa Lipuisano e fumane lengolo ho tsoa ho Mohlomphehi RalechateMokose me ke sa ithuta lona. Ntlha ea tsamaiso, Setho se Khabane sa Butha-Buthe HON. M. MALIEHE: Kea leboha, Mohlomphehi Motsamaisi oa Lipuisano. Ka boikokobetso, Mohlomphehi, ke ne ke hlile ke ema ka ntlha ea tsamaiso hore re utloe hore na ebe ho neng ho etsahala ka Labohlano ke eng. Kutloisisong ea ka ke ne ke qala ho bona mohlolo ono. Joale ke ne re u ke u re tataise hore na e ne e ntse e le tsamaiso ea Ntlo ena e Khabane hore e be ho ile hoa etsahala boemo bono. U se u arabile, Mohlomphehi, kea leboha. HON. J. MOLAPO: (PR) Point of order, Madam Speaker. RT. HON. MADAM SPEAKER: Point of order, Hon J. Molapo. HON. J. MOLAPO: Kea leboha, Madam Speaker. Kanete with all due respect ho tsela eo o hlalositseng litaba tsa hao ka eona, I would like to understand hore na in light of the fact that the Government Benches is no longer populated in the manner in which we are accustomed, while Madam Speaker is contemplating litaba tsena, what is Madam Speakers expectation that the Opposition undertake? The job of Opposition ke ho lisaMuso. Clearly such entity eo ho thoeng ke Muso eona ha e sa le eo, Mohlomphehi. Kanete while you…(liatla)
RT. HON. MADAM SPEAKER: Order, Setho se Khabane, oa fosa ha u re Muso ha o sa le eo. Ke kopa mantsoe ano oona u hle u a hule hang hang. HON. J. MOLAPO: Ntšoarele, Madam Speaker. You are correct. The Government exists in name only. The numerical superiority that the Government is expected to bring to this House no longer exist. Rona re le Bohanyetsi kanete, Madam Speaker, it would be remiss in our duties if we do not bring it to the attention, not only of the Members of this Honoruable House, but to the public at large. It is a generally accepted understanding, Madam Speaker, that the Government conducts its business in this House on the basis or its numerical superiority.
RT. HON. MADAM SPEAKER: Setho se Khabane ha ke utloisise na u bolelang ha u re the Government exists in name only.
HON. J. MOLAPO: Madam Speaker, with due respect, may I clarify that point?Ha u re ha kea hlaka is a request that I clarify the point or is it simply a rhetorical question, ke lule fatsé?
RT. HON. MADAM SPEAKER: Ha ke re ua utloa le uena ha u etse substantiate hore na u bolela eng.
HON. J. MOLAPO: Madam Speaker, at the beginning of this Parliamentary Session you designated seats in this House. You identified an area of this House that you called the Government Bench, you identify another side of this House that you called Opposition Bench. I remember distinctly that at the beginning of the life of this Parliament there was no part of this House that were named Cross Bench. We now see that such an entity exists and it is composed of Honourable Members who at one time were Honourable Members of the Government.
Madam Speaker, simple mathematics, leads us to understand that the Government no longer has the numerical superiority that they once enjoyed [applause]. Seeing ourselves as the opposition, our sole desire, our sole purpose for coming to this House, is to one day form a Government. That is the purpose for which we exist as the Opposition. Simply, Madam Speaker, by counting the empty seats on the Government side and the many filled seats on the Opposition side it clear to us, Madam Speaker, that there is other more serious business for this House to contemplate. The Business that was brought to this House by the Government that no longer for a long time has enjoyed the support of the general populous outside but which now does not enjoy the number which gives it the legitimacy to bring Business to this House.
With all due respect, Madam Speaker, I am saying that the Government is a Government in name only, there is no longer a Government that can drive the business of this country in this House [applause].
RT. HON. MADAM SPEAKER: Setho se Khabane, ntho eo u e balehang ke ho etsa substantiate. Lipalo tsena u ntse u li bua feela u sa li bolele. Hape ke utloa u ntsietsa ha u metha matla a ‘Muso ka empty seats, ke hore ke utloa ke tsietseha le ho feta. However, I don’t want to be drawn into that debate now, haeba u ile ua ‘mamela ha ke bua mona ke ile ka re, ke sa imamella litaba tsena, ‘me ke tla etsa qeto e leng a Ruling. Ke chulo joalo ha ke qala mona.
HON. L. MOLAPO: Madam Speaker, respectfully, may I request to understand that seeing as we live in anticipation of one day we may form a government, and that one day seem to be coming very quickly, may we ask, Madam Speaker, on what date she might furnish us with the Ruling on this matter? You can understand that our anticipation rises in every minute….(Applause).
RT. HON. MADAM SPEAKER: Setho se Khabane, kannete kea bona hore you are really excited that there are some prospects of becoming the Government. Joale feela ha ke utloe hore na ebe taba ea qeto eo ke tla e etsa u e amahanya joang le taba ea hau ea ho ba ‘Muso. Really!
HON. J. MOLAPO: Madam Speaker, the normal process of which we become accustomed is that when the Government is faced with situations like this based on past historical precedence, we often see the Government pushing an issue of Motion of Confidence [Noise]. Now we are surprised by the Government reluctance on this occasion to test its strength in this House. [Applause].
Madam Speaker, I wish to assure you that I will very quickly be in a position, if it is the desire of the Government to demonstrate our collective strength. But we are simply wishing to respect the point of view that Madam Speaker put forward that she is still in deep contemplation regarding the issues that are before this House.
Our respectful question, Madam Speaker, is how long would you wish us to hold our horses until we put the people of this country out of this misery by raising a Government of the people….[Applause].
RT. HON. MADAM SPEAKER: Honourable Member, you want me to repeat myself like a broken record. Ha ke na ho etsa joalo. Litaba tsena tsa hau kannete ke tse mona tseo ho thoeng li hypothetical ho latela Melaoana ea Tsamaiso ea Ntlo e leng tseo re sa sebetseng ka tsona.
Next item, Mr. Clerk.
TABLING OF REPORTS
⦁ Report of the Portfolio Committee on the Natural Resources, Tourism and Land Cluster on Bio-Safety Bill, 2016 tabled by Hon. T. Lehloenya, (Chairperson of the Committee)
⦁ Report of the Portfolio Committee on the Economic and Development Cluster on the Income Tax (Amendment of Monetary Amounts) Regulations, 2016. Tabled by Hon. S.H. Sekatle (Chairperson of the Committee).
Reports to lie upon the Table and to be published
RT. HON. MADAM SPEAKER: Point of order, Honourable Member for Motimposo.
HON. P. MAISA (Motimposo): Mohlomphehi Motsamaisi oa Lipuisano, kea u hlompha, ebile ke amohela litlaleho tseo u re fileng tsona tsa litaba tseo u reng u kopane le tsona ka Labohlano le fetileng la la 11/11/2016. Ke utloile eka u re hlokomelisitse hore u ile ua fumana lengolo hamorao le ileng la u ruta hore na hantle moo ho uoang teng ke kae. Joale….
RT. HON. MADAM SPEAKER: Order! Ha kea hlalosa hore na le etsa joang, tseno ke litaba tsa hau. Lula fats’e, Setho se Khabane [litlatse].
Honourable Members, these conclude all the business for today and the House is adjourned until tomorrow afternoon at 2.30 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further Business upon the Order Paper, the Rt. Hon. Madam Speaker adjourned the House without question put pursuant to Standing Order No.16(2).
The House accordingly adjourned at 3.00 p.m.