KING ORDERS WEEKEND PARLY JOINT SITTING

LOBAMBA – Today is a working day for parliamentarians.

His Majesty King Mswati III has ordered a joint sitting of both the House of Assembly and Senate to deliberate on pending international conventions and treaties.

The King’s message was communicated to both the House and Senate by the presiding officers yesterday.

For the House of Assembly, the one minute statement read by Speaker Petros Mavimbela was the only business of the day, after which the house was adjourned. 

Debate

The Parliament Standing Orders do not allow for debate of a message from the throne.

Meanwhile, senators had just opened in a word of prayer when the doors were banged three times by the sergeant at arms to signal that there was a message from the throne. 

It was tabled by Foreign Affairs Minister Thuli Dladla and communicated to the Senators by Senate President Lindiwe Dlamini.

Dlamini read a list of 11 treaties and international conventions that the parliamentarians would delve into today, to which the legislators shouted “Bayethe!”

regulations

It, however, remains to be seen how the sitting arrangements would be made given the COVID -19 regulations that parliamentarians have bound themselves to since the outbreak of the virus. 

The ‘new normal’ in parliament is such that some members of Parliament sit in the public gallery and participate from there so that the House can observe social distancing rules.

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