ANC MP John Jeffery has offered to withdraw comments he made about DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko's weight.
|||Cape Town - An unseemly sideshow to this week’s debate on the Presidency budget ended on Thursday with ANC MP John Jeffery offering to withdraw comments he made about DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko and apologise to her.
Jeffery had remarked after Mazibuko’s speech that while she “may be a person of substantial weight, her stature is questionable”, setting off a storm of protest on social media in which he was accused of sexism.
ANC MP Buti Manamela also came under fire for commenting on Mazibuko’s dress sense.
DA deputy chief whip Sandy Kalyan called on ANC chief whip Mathole Motshekga to discipline the two.
Their “petty references” were “a direct attack on the integrity of a fellow member and are unparliamentary”.
Kalyan asked deputy speaker Nomaindia Mfeketo to rule on the matter during the debate on Wednesday and Mfeketo said she would consult the rules.
Kalyan said Motshekga, “who has rightfully called for more decorum in the house, should hang is head in shame at this disgraceful display by his colleagues”.
Political Bureau