Most political parties welcomed former ANC chief whip Tony Yengeni's resignation, but said he should have quit soon after admitting in a court of law that he had lied to parliament.

They lambasted the ANC for dragging its feet over the Yengeni issue and praised national assembly Speaker Frene Ginwala for the principled stand she had taken in pressing for his resignation.

Democratic Alliance chief whip Douglas Gibson said yesterday that in vacillating over Yengeni, the ANC had sent a message to the public that it was not prepared to act "swiftly and firmly" against politicians who lied to parliament.

"Instead, the ANC delays and delays and delays, hoping that the matter can by minimised or explained away or settled behind closed doors," said Gibson.

He said in the national assembly yesterday that the ANC's first reaction was to close ranks.

"Why is it that the ANC always closes ranks around the corrupt and the crooks? Instead of setting an example to the nation, the ANC always sides with those who have transgressed and never seems to side with the honest people of our country," Gibson said.

Yengeni should have resigned the moment he confessed to lying to parliament.

When he failed to resign, the ANC should have used its power to fire him immediately.

"Instead it has been forced to act under duress and pressure from the opposition, from civil society, the media and the speaker. Confidence in parliament has been undermined because there was no prompt response from the leadership of his party," Gibson said.

He said the ANC and all parties needed to learn from this "disgraceful episode". Swift action by leaders retained and restored public confidence in politicians when the few who were corrupt transgressed.

PAC chief whip Patricia de Lille, who was the first to raise allegations about wrongdoing in relation to the arms deal more than three years ago, said she felt "vindicated".

She told the ANC that despite its vast majority and attempts at a cover up, the truth would out.

Sheila Camerer (NNP) said Ginwala was to be congratulated for her principled stand in saying Yengeni should leave parliament as this had preserved the integrity of the institution.

"The same cannot be said for Mr Yengeni's parliamentary colleagues who, even today, placed a motion on the order paper suggesting the appointment of an ad hoc committee to go into Yengeni's case and make recommendations regarding a possible sanction." This was after a court had found Yengeni guilty of fraud, Camerer said.

"Politicians who lie to parliament have only one avenue: they must exit the scene. The NNP would like to see this written into the rules," she said.

United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa said it was a pity the saga had taken so much of parliament's time and effort and "had to blemish the institution's credibility before it was resolved". It was disappointing most ANC MPs had refused to speak out.

African Christian Democratic Party leader Kenneth Meshoe said Yengeni's resignation was "long overdue".

ANC chief whip Nathi Nhleko said the ANC believed Yengeni had done the honourable thing.

With acknowledgements to Andre Koopman and Cape Times.