Radebe mum on sale of sniper rifles

DA MP David Maynier was booted from the National Assembly after suggesting that Jeff Radebe had blood on his hands.

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Cape Town - After asking Justice Minister Jeff Radebe what it felt like to have blood on his hands, and refusing to withdraw the remark, Democratic Alliance MP David Maynier was ordered out of the National Assembly on Wednesday.

Maynier had posed two questions to Radebe - who also serves as chairperson of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) - on the sale of sniper rifles and ammunition to Libya.

“Will the Honourable Minister not tell us, in plain language, with a simple yes or no, whether he authorised the export of more than 100 sniper rifles and more than 50 000 rounds of ammunition to Libya in 2010?

“And if the answer is yes, will the Honourable Minister tell this House what it feels like to have blood on his hands?” Maynier said.

The second of his questions caused an uproar in the House, prompting Speaker Max Sisulu to call on him to withdraw it.

“Honourable Speaker, with respect, I refuse to withdraw those remarks,” Maynier responded.

Sisulu then ordered him out of the Chamber.

Earlier, in response to a question on what conventional arms had been exported to Libya since 1 January 2000, Radebe said shotguns, night-vision equipment, parachutes, ammunition and laser sights were among the R80.86-million in conventional arms sold by South Africa to that country.

After Maynier had left the House, DA Chief Whip Ian Davidson - rising on a point of order - attempted to get his colleague's question answered.

Conceding that Maynier's remarks were “perhaps inappropriate”, Davidson said the question regarding the sniper rifles and ammunition remained pertinent, and called on Radebe to answer it.

Radebe, after being told by Sisulu that it was his “prerogative” to choose to reply or not, responded: “The Speaker has ordered the Honourable Member to leave the House. I can't answer to a question of an absentee member who has been thrown out of this House.”

Davidson, rising again, said Radebe's reply showed contempt for the House.

He then asked the question on sniper rifles and ammunition himself, saying the rules allowed him to “take charge” of a colleague's question if authorised to do so.

But this notion was dismissed by Sisulu, who told him: “I now want to move on, I have made a ruling on the matter.” - Sapa

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/radebe-mum-on-sale-of-sniper-rifles-1.1046233

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