The Vice President Slumber Tsogwane who is also leader of the house has expressed concern on how keeps being undermined or disrespected during his presence in parliament especially by the opposition members of parliament.
Tsogwane has on Thursday engaged in a heated exchange of jabs with Ghanzi North legislator Noah Salakae, who had accused the ruling party for using to its gain the Delimitation exercise of constituencies.
MPs were debating the National Assembly (Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, as tabled by Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Machana Shamukuni.
Delimitation has been also raised as an emerging issue with some MPs arguing that it affects in diverse ways, some complaining that it reduces size of their constituencies while others said it ends up expanding far their constituencies despite resource limitations faced by the legislators.
Salakae has said the cabinet had influenced the decision behind the Demarcation of some constituencies prior to the 2014 elections as a bargaining cheap for BDP to influence votes.
Salakae sparked anger from BDP MPs who forms cabinet including vice president Tsogwane, who attacked Salakae calling him an opposition fool moving in the darkness of political aisle.
Tsogwane said Salakae doesn’t understand law saying his level of feedback while he debates issues of importance in most instances is being presented out context but just for the sake of opposing.
He said the cabinet neither president never had a say on implementation of the 2013 Delimitation Commission report that was undertaken after the 2011 population census.
“I have been here and listening how this fool has been trying to debate on the Delimitation process. He is misleading the nation and where did he ever see the cabinet endorsing or implementing the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission report, he is so dull,” Tsogwane lashed out to Salakae.
Outspoken Ghanzi MP could not hold his temper to respond to the demeaning remarks by VP who has then sent the BDP lawmakers in a fit of laughter leaving Salakae with no option but to hit back.
Salakae has misfired guns to VP telling him to keep quiet and stop lecturing him on how he should debate adding that Tsogwane political wisdom is par below as compared to his one.
“I am even surprised that VP can come out and just attacks me like this. I just know him as a man who had never interest in political issues of this kind only now when is vice president. I know him to inactivity as his name Slumber poses,” Salakae said while heating back to Tsogwane attacks.
He also went on to question the ability of Tsogwane on being vice president out of some capable members within BDP adding that he feels the cold of losing elections in October.
Tsogwane had then requested through speaker of the national assembly, Kagiso Moatlhodi, that Salakae guarantees him all the respect that he deserves more so that he is older than him.
He said he has been for a long time observed that he has been disrespected, insulted or undermined therefore prompting speaker to bring Salakae to order by withdrawing his words addressed to VP.
However, Salakae could not be shaken by the speaker and Tsogwane calls that he apologizes to Tsogwane whilst he does not also apologise to calling him a fool too.
“I won’t do that and why should I to be honest? He attacked me without noticing that he would prompt me to be harsh too. Mr VP, let me tell you respect is earned and not commanded like I see you trying but to no avail,” he added.