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Polity
Published: 17 Feb 2010
DA: Statement by Ian Davidson, Democratic Alliance Chief Whip, on the suspension of Dianne Kohler Barnard (17/02/2010)
After consultation with our Parliamentary Leader, Athol Trollip MP, I have today written to the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Honourable Max Sisulu, to notify him that, in light of her recent conduct in the House, the DA has acted to suspend Dianne Kohler Barnard MP with immediate effect, for five days. Those five days the 17, 18, 19, 22 and 23 February. I have further request that, on the first sitting day of Parliament, after her return to duty, Ms Kohler Barnard address the House and apologise unconditionally for her words, something to which she has agreed. A copy of that apology has also been sent to the Speaker.

Her suspension means her duties as a Member of Parliament are frozen for that period and, as such, that she vacate the Parliamentary precinct and suspend her related activities.

I wish at this point to say something about the course of action the DA has chosen. First, we regard Ms Kohler Barnard's conduct in a serious light, hence the nature of our decision. Second, we wish to distinguish our reaction to her transgression from that of the ruling party, which repeatedly endorses, defends and obfuscates about the unparliamentary conduct of its own members. The DA believes in accountability and consequences, and that this action demonstrates our commitment to those principles. We challenge the ruling party to follow suit.

And here it is worth setting out some context to incident. Consider that the DA has been accused of being "treasonous", a crime punishable by death in many countries; that labour brokers have been labelled "slave traders" and "human traffickers"; that Tony Leon has been maliciously accused of being "a lance corporal in a helicopter above the streets of Soweto, firing tear gas and bullets at the harmless students" and, in the Western Cape legislature it was even suggested that Leon's wife was found for him by the "Israeli secret service". None of these statements - libellous, racist, and defamatory - were met with any serious condemnation by the ruling party and certainly no decisive action.

The ball is now in the ANC's court. The DA has set a precedent. We have acted immediately and unambiguously. It is now time for the ruling party to adopt a similar attitude to its own repeated transgressions.