Another Pan African Parliament member, TEMPLE passes on.

African Parliamentary News has learned with shock, the sad news of the sudden demise of Senator Mike Temple, who was the Chairperson of the Pan African Parliament’s (PAP) Standing Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs. He reportedly died on Friday June 21, 2019 in the Kingdom of Eswatini.

According to a family source, Senator Temple never showed any signs of sickness and as it was his routine, he woke up to engage in physical exercise early  morning on the fateful day. 

He enjoyed aerobics and as usual, he went through his routine at his home. During the exercise, it is reported that one of his children noticed that he was not feeling well and was consequently attended to by the family members who quickly rushed him to hospital where he was pronounced dead. 

Hon Temple, a Senator in the Parliament of Eswatini, was instrumental in ensuring PAP's financial prudence and accountability. He served the Continent with diligence and made immense contribution to PAP's endeavour to tackling the problems and challenges facing the continent.

He was also the chairman of the portfolio committee in the Eswatini Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology ICT, having been shifted from the Ministry of Finance portfolio committee, which he earlier chaired.

It would be recalled that late Senator Temple had on May 15, 2019 in Midrand, South Africa, presented Pan  African Parliament’s 2020 Budget to the plenary (see our news commentary: https://www.africanparliamentarynews.com/2019/06/pan-african-parliaments-2020-budget-and.html). Before his presentation, he sought to debunk the fake news that the King of Eswatini had passed a law that made it mandatory for men to marry more than one wife in the kingdom...

“Mr. President, before I proceed to the presentation of my budget, I would like to correct some very serious lies that are being peddled on social media and some mainstream media relating to His Majesty King Mswati III and the Kingdom of Eswatini,” he said.

Temple pointed out that, polygamy has been practiced in Eswatini for hundreds of years, it is allowed and it has never been and never will be the subject of a law passed by His Majesty.

“His Majesty does not pass laws, decrees or make laws on his own. Our King Mswati III is not a dictator. We have a very vibrant and robust Parliament in Eswatini that passes legislation.

“To even suggest that His Majesty made such a law is totally devoid of the truth and an insult to His Majesty. I request journalists and those on social media to please verify, substantiate and know your facts before publishing such rubbish. It is very important that journalists are ethical and factual in their reporting,” he said.

May his soul rest in peace.