No gala dinner for MPs at opening of parliament

Despite an estimated R6m to R14m being budgeted for the opening of parliament later today, there will be no gala dinner for parliamentarians. In a media briefing in Cape Town on Wednesday, parliament’s presiding officer and chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane confirmed that there would no gala dinner at the opening of parliament because of financial constraints. Sizwe Dhlomo and Sol Phenduka reflected on previous openings of parliament and how it’s treated like “prom” for adults. They asked listeners if they idolize politicians, and why it is that politicians are viewed as celebrities.