Ngaka�s utterances disturbing

Mmegi Editor | Thursday July 31, 2014 11:29

After defeating Filbert Nagafela in the 2013 by-election, some young people were happy that Ngaka, with IT training would boost the participation of youth in the national assembly. Barely 12 months after his swearing in, the youthful MP was slapped with charges of assaulting his wife and  injuring her. We will not comment further on a matter that is now before the Molepolole Magistrates’ Court.

A few months earlier, Ngaka was making headlines in a local tabloid – again, for wrong reasons. Can someone please save this young man from self-destruction! Over the weekend, Ngaka reportedly told a political rally during the launch of Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri that opposition members should stop taking Anti Retroviral drugs. He said this is because opposition members criticise government schemes, among them provision of ARVs.

 This is an unfortunate statement coming from the mouth of a young parliamentarian who should be the torchbearer for the old and tired MaDomi in the House. Common sense teaches us that it is the mandate of the government to provide health, education, water, infrastructure, electricity amongst others to its citizens irrespective of their political affiliation. At his age, and purported qualifications, Ngaka should appreciate this. What will be his next comment, that children born to opposition activists should not attend government schools? That relatives of opposition activists should not be hired in government departments, or that they should not use infrastructure built by the government?  Utterances such as these make us wonder whether our local politicians will ever mature into responsible public figurers who understand how much weight their words carry, or what kind of influence their actions can have on the whole society. This could be one of the reasons why some people think that politics is a dirty game they should not associate themselves with. Ngaka’s remarks come a few years after the minister of lands and housing Lebonaamang Mokalake caused a stir in Parliament when he discouraged Chobe legislator Gibson Nshimwe for speaking for AIDS sufferers. In his response, Mokalake allegedly said that Nshimwe was speaking as if he was suffering from AIDS. Fortunately, for Mokalake, the constituents were following his every move and utterance and they punished him during the BDP primary elections.

Perhaps some of these dumb utterances should justify the reason to have a code of conduct for politicians to disqualify a candidate.

                                                                Today’s thought

“Showing a lack of self-control is in the same vein granting authority to others: ‘Perhaps I need someone else to control me.”

 

                                                                  -Criss Jami