Request for Obama to address South African Parliament declined

South African Parliament's Presiding Officers -- National Assembly Speaker Max Sisulu and National Council of Provinces Chairperson Mninwa Mahlangu -- on Friday rejected a request for U.S. President Barack Obama to address both houses of Parliament. The request came from opposition Democratic Alliance Parliamentary Leader Lindiwe Mazibuko who called for a special joint-sitting to allow Obama to address both houses of Parliament on his official visit. Joint sittings to enable a visiting head of state, who is a guest of South African President Jacob Zuma, to address Parliament are, as a rule, requested by the president when Parliament is in session, Sisulu and Mahlangu said in a joint statement. Parliament, however, will be in recess from June 24 to July 19 and Members of Parliament have constituency engagements during this time, the statement said. "The request for the joint sitting cannot, therefore, be acceded to," the statement said. Earlier, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) also rejected the request for Obama to address both houses of Parliament. The ANC described the DA request as nothing but "a cynical publicity stunt." The request is "logically flawed," ANC chief whip Mathole Motshekga said. "It is important to note that in terms of international protocols, Parliament cannot invite a foreign head of state to address it. President Obama is visiting this country as the guest of the South African government, and not as a guest of Parliament, " Motshekga said. The addressing of joint sittings of Parliament occurs only as a result of a joint arrangement between the host head of state and their visiting counterpart, said Motshekga. "The program of his visit therefore is determined jointly by the two governments. Parliament may therefore not hijack him, as suggested by the DA's request," Motshekga said. Obama's week-long African tour of Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania will run from June 26 to July 3, his first trip to Africa in his second term.