Cape Town – MK Party MP Gezani Kobane, widely known as Papa Penny, has reportedly defended himself after facing criticism for his poor English during a parliamentary committee meeting on sport, arts, and culture.
Kobane, who speaks Tsonga and has no formal education, struggled to express his questions — related to a Safa fraud case — in English, sparking social media debate about his suitability as an MP.
Watch the video below
[ICYMI] MK Party MP Eric Kulani Giyani Nkovani, popularly known as Papa Penny, has sparked debate about who political parties deploy to Parliament and how seriously they view their responsibility and accountability to the electorate. Papa Penny’s question to SAFA officials in the… pic.twitter.com/1NhS0DPIO0
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) June 5, 2025
In response, Kobane told TimesLIVE that he originally wrote his questions in Tsonga and had them translated.
He insisted there’s nothing wrong with not speaking English fluently, emphasising his preference for using his home language.
Going forward, he plans to speak Tsonga in parliamentary meetings and expects translation services, as South Africa recognizes 11 official languages.
“In future I won’t speak English in parliamentary meetings, I’ll speak my own language … I want to use my language in parliament as we have 11 official languages,” the report quoted Kobane as saying.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, X and Instagram
Picture: X/@motsamai247
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Betha Madhomu
