Parliament lashes out at CRL Commission’s eNgcobo comments
Parliament has hit back at the
Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural,
Religious and Linguistic Communities after it accused the legislature of
failing to act against the Mancoba Seven Angels Ministry in the Eastern
Cape.
The CRL Commission’s chairperson, Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva, said Parliament must be held to account for failing to prevent last week’s tragedy at the church, since she raised concerns last year.
Members of the church was allegedly involved in the killing of five police officials and a retired soldier at the eNgcobo Police Station.
A police task team swooped on the church on Friday evening, killing seven suspects and arresting ten others.
Mkhwanazi-Xaluva said she raised the issue of the church with Parliament in October, but it failed to take any action.
Parliament's spokesperson Moloto Mothapo, however, says this is untrue.
ALSO READ: 72 hours to catch eNgcobo killers
"The comments demonstrated poor understanding of the constitutional mandate of Parliament and its relations with the Chapter 9 institutions that only make recommendations to Parliament and not prescribe. The Committee is finalising consultations with all role players as it is also preparing its recommendations to the National Assembly on the recommendations of the CRL."
He also described Mkhwanazi-Xaluva’s comments as "unfortunate, reckless and unbecoming of a person of her stature".
He says the tragedy in eNgcobo is unfortunate but it is purely a criminal matter.
"If you see any potential criminality that is likely to happen, you have got a responsibility to alert the criminal justice system so that it can be dealt with. You don't merely put it in a report to parliament.
"And now the committee that has been dealing with it is finalising all the issues.”