LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The former Speaker of Malawi Parliament Davis Katsonga has lost the dress code case in which the latter was challenging the August House after he was banned.
Katsonga who is also a lawmaker for Mwanza Central constituency went to court to challenge the second speaker Clement Chiwaya’s verdict that the cultural headgear was not allowed in the house in May early this year.
Speaker Richard Msowoya announced in the chamber on Monday this week that the High Court in Lilongwe dismissed Katsonga’s application.
This meas that Members of Parliament are not allowed to wear any strange dress contrary to the usual smart code of the house.
“In the ruling, the High Court observed that Parliament, under Section 56 (1) of the constitution of Malawi, is entitled to regulate its own procedures in so long as it stays within its powers and the decision made is constitutional.
” Therefore, MPs have to comply with the rules that regulate the internal proceedings of the house in order to maintain discipline in the house. This means that all members are not allowed to wear “Nthini'” and any other dressing that is in contravention of the dress code stated under Standing Order 205″, announces Msowoya.
In May this year, the Mwanza central lawmaker was banned from the Parliament proceeding for one week after he defied the august House’s dress code.
The former speaker’s protest coincided with Chiwaya’s revoking of the Standing Order 105 for the latter to leave the House and come back on the following day.
Surprisingly, Katsonga came back into the House chambers ?on Wednesday afternoon?, wearing the same Ngoni culture headgear, which prompted Lilongwe North East legislator Maxwell, to plead for Chiwaya to assert his decision.
Thyolera, who is also Parliamentary Legal Affairs Chairperson, said he was surprised to see the member back into the House in the same attire which he had been told not wear while attending Parliament proceedings.
“Mr. Second Deputy Speaker Sir, yesterday (Tuesday) you advised an hourable member about the dress code for this Hiuse, and you directed that if any member has an issue with the dress code, they can report the same to the Legal Affairs Committee,” Thyolera said.
“But, to our surprise the hourable member is back in the House in the same attire. Is it in order for the member to do that?” Thyolera queried.
The Deputy Speaker Chiwaya equally shared the same observation with Thyolera, noting that Katsonga’s behavior was tantamount to indiscipline and required disciplinary action for defying the House’s dress code.
“Him being a former Speaker, is supposed to be exemplary. It’s for this reason, I am invoking Section 105 that the hourable member should not attend proceedings for one week,” ruled Chiwaya.
Eventually, Katsongo left the chamber amid “Bayethe Nkosi” (respect to king) chats from some members who on Tuesday, had defended the cultural headgear. They had arguing that as an Impi of the Maseko Ngonis’ Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani V, he was supposed to put the headgear on it all the time.
