Kamogelo Muvhenzhe
In the South African parliament, members can wear just about anything, including hard hats, overalls and domestic worker uniforms.
But in the east African country of Tanzania, things work a little differently.
“Go dress up well, and then join us back later,” Tanzanian speaker of Parliament, Job Ndugai, told Condester Sichlwe for wearing tight fitting pants.
On Tuesday, Sichlwe, a female MP was kicked out of parliament for wearing pants after being reported by a fellow MP. They are both members of the ruling CCM party.
The male MP quoted the parliamentary rules which allow women to wear trousers but stipulate that clothes should not be tight-fitting.
The speaker described her attire as non-parliamentary.
Ndugai said this was not the first time he received a complaint about a female MP’s clothes.
He went on to tell the chamber orderlies to deny entry to anyone who was inappropriately dressed.
In 2018 Ndugai announced that women were banned from wearing jeans, short dresses, false lashes, fake nails and excessive makeup in parliament.
The announcement came shortly after the Deputy Minister for Health, Dr Faustine Ndugulile made a speech about the number of women facing health issues directly linked to wearing fake eyelashes and nails.
Back home, Parliament backed off from prescribing a dress code for its MPs proclaiming that members are required to dress in a manner befitting the dignity of the House.
