Thank you. Order! Hon members, during the debate on the President's Budget Vote yesterday, the hon member Mr M S Shilowa raised a point of order about remarks made by the hon Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, the hon K M N Gigaba. Hon Shilowa contended that the inference by the hon Deputy Minister, that he had misappropriated a large sum of money, was unparliamentary, and I heard the hon Deputy Minister referring to hon Shilowa and saying "what a shameful dishonesty".
I ruled at the time that that particular phrase and other such words were unparliamentary. I did not, however, ask the hon Deputy Minister to withdraw the remarks. Having now had an opportunity to study the unrevised Hansard, I wish to further rule as follows: In responding to hon Shilowa, the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs initially said, "Were we honest?" thereby implying that hon Shilowa was not. He continued in that vein, calling hon Shilowa "disingenuous", thereby implying that he was underhanded, duplicitous and deceitful. He then proceeded to use the phrase already referred to, "what a shameful dishonesty".
The hon Deputy Minister further stated that hon Shilowa probably has the memory of "a rat". [Laughter.] This animal reference was repeated later on. As members are aware, it is unparliamentary to unfavourably compare members to animals, either by statement or by making animal sounds. [Laughter.] Quoting such an offensive reference as hypothesis does not render it parliamentary. Only then did the hon Deputy Minister proceed to utter the remarks about which hon Shilowa raised a point of order. He said, "Maybe the hon member will take this House into his confidence about the R20 million that disappeared under his watch." With this particular remark, he again imputes improper and unworthy motives to the hon Shilowa.
As has been so often said in this House, it is completely out of order to do so without bringing it before the House by way of a substantive motion. While members enjoy freedom of speech in the House, they cannot make untested allegations that would compromise a member's integrity. Furthermore, it should be kept in mind that such accusations are equally offensive and damaging if they were made indirectly.
As all of the above-mentioned remarks are in violation of Rule 63, the rule on offensive and unbecoming language, I would ask the hon Deputy Minister to withdraw all references to hon Shilowa being dishonest, disingenuous, including the reference to the misappropriation of funds and also the comparison of hon Shilowa to a rat. [Interjections.] Order, hon members! Deputy Minister, will you please withdraw those remarks?
They are withdrawn, Speaker.
Accepted. [Applause.] Order, hon members! Hon members, there is another matter on which I want to offer a word of caution. The hon Deputy Minister, in his speech, also referred to a family member as "a family member of a certain hon member of the House." It has been the good practice in this House that the family members of an hon member, in matters pertaining to the personal life of an hon member, are not used in political rhetoric in this House. I would urge that we continue this good practice, as those people are not here to defend themselves, and it would be difficult for the member involved to do so.
Since we are in a sporting frame of mind at present, let me conclude by saying that we should play the ball and not the man or woman, as the case might be, in our political engagements. I thank you. [Applause.]