Order! Hon members, the next point of order was in the same debate and was raised by hon McGluwa. It was whether the Deputy Minister of Police was implying that the DA was friends with gangsters, when she said:
Abona bantu bazaziyo izigebenga ukuba zihlala phi yiDA ngoba uMEC weDA uneengxoxo azibiza ngokuba zii-peace accords apho ahlala khona neenkokeli ze-gangsters, bezama iindlela zokufikelela kwisivumelwano ekulweni le nto. Ngoko ke oyena mntu uzaziyo izigebenga nguDA, makazibuze pha ku-MEC Dan Plato. (Translation of IsiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[The DA are the ones who know where the criminals are because their MEC organises meetings, which he calls "peace accords", in which he sits with gangster leaders trying to arrive at a solution to fight gangsterism. Therefore, the DA are the ones who know who the criminals are. Ask the MEC, Mr Dan Plato.]
The reference is to the interaction of the DA with gangsters. We have consistently ruled that references to a party are not unparliamentary, even when those same references may have been unparliamentary if they had been directed specifically at a member of this House.
A distinction should therefore be drawn between allusions directed at members and expressions of opinion and belief in relation to political parties. Such views or opinions against political parties are regarded as part of generally acceptable political discourse. The statement is therefore not unparliamentary.