Cape Town – Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi has denied to MPs that he insulted them over their oversight role during a television talk show.
Motsoaledi told members of the home affairs committee today, it was never his intention to question the role of MPs and that of having an oversight responsibility in the implementing of the laws of the land.
He said he was surprised when he received a letter from the committee that he had undermined it.
“I fully recognise the oversight role of the committee. The issue at hand is where members felt I was insulting them. The interview was not about the visit (to Beitbridge border post), it was about the whole immigration process in South Africa and what’s happening at the borders.
“The question I was responding to, was lack of political will to implement,” said Motsoaledi.
This was in relation to the implementation of the immigration laws.
“In my explanation what I meant was that perhaps there is a difference in the interpretation of what the statutes say and I gave an example. I had an encounter that certain acts are interpreted differently by the legislature and the executive and chair, I never regarded that as an insult because sometimes these things end up in court about the interpretation,” Motsoaledi said.
“If anybody felt I was insulting them I am sorry. That is not my style to insult. I don’t go around insulting people. I prefer a dialogue to people rather than insulting them,” he said.
He said there have been cases that have gone to court to deal with the question of the interpretation of the law.
Political Bureau