National Assembly will be poorer without P.T.C. Skelemani

Adam Phetlhe writes….

I am assuming the outing Speaker of the National Assembly (NA)Hon P.T.C. Skelemani will not be inclined to come back in the event he is invited to do so. Kindly don’t ask me why.

If any outsider attended or watched parliamentary debates in person or on national television, they would be surprised to know he is a staunch BDP person having previously served as it’s MP and Minister. This because he treated all MPs the same including the Leader of the House who has the propensity of imposing himself on speakership. Not under P.T.C’s watch. He was overly fair and firm on either side of the aisle. This was complemented by his listening skills and his legal background to resolve sticky issues. 

Much as he was fair and firm on how he managed the House, he is not infallible. The dark spot of his speakership is his ejection of Rre Dumelang Salishando from the House which decision would later be quashed by the High Court. He would later be caught in the controversy surrounding the alleged resignation from the Pan African Parliament by Kgosi Mosadi Seboko. I would have expected him to personally confirm from her whether or not she had indeed resigned before announcing it in the House. That notwithstanding, I still argue I am happy on how he managed the House.

To put the cherry on top of his tenure, P.T.C. handled the vote on the controversial Constitution Amendment Bill well. I recall one BDP MP asking him to order re-voting after his party had lost the vote. Typical of him, he was empathic with a raised voice for that MP to know, that the vote was done. Any other Speaker might have been pressured to order re-voting considering the Bill’s high stakes.

Fare thee well P.T.C. You were the epitome of managing the House fairly but firmly. I will miss your abundant patience, humor and wisdom. I think your regret will be the fact that you leave the House hugely untransformed in more ways than one. It is still the extension of the executive.