EFF MPs ejected from Parliament

By Phephile Motau

Economic Freedom Fighters members of Parliament raised placards and held a short protest after a few of their members were chucked out of the National Assembly during the State of the Nation Address (SONA).

After being asked to leave the house, they attempted to climb the podium and they were reprimanded and the Speaker Nosivuyo Mapisa-Nqakula asked them to leave.

The first person to be chucked out was Vuyolethu Zungula of the African Transformation Movement was removed by the Speaker for defying her instruction. He raised a point of order after EFF’s Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu had raised their own saying the President had no right to convene the SONA.

Malema said the president had taken the same Parliament he had convened to court, meaning he had passed a motion on no confidence in him. Malema said until the court had ruled on the matter, Ramaphosa has no leg to stand on as a legitimate body. He said the Speaker was the first respondent, meaning she had been taken to court by the president.

The Speaker said the session was convened in terms of the Constitution to discuss one item, which was to provide the program of action for the year. Shivambu, on the other hand, raised the Phalaphala issue and the Speaker did not allow him to continue speaking and said they would debate the SONA and she would not entertain spurious points of order.

Zungula said the speaker was violating rules by disrupting speakers who have raised a point of order.

“I have a right to raise a point of order as a member of this house,” he said.

Zungula and the Speaker then exchanged words and Nqakula ordered him to leave the house. Another EFF MP said the president had spoken against GBV, but police abused a woman in his presence during the Phalaphala scandal.

Other MPs continued to try to make a point of order, even as the president made his speech. This prompted the Speaker to ask other MPs to leave, and this led to the protest. The speaker suspended the sitting for 10 minutes and asked the Parliament security service to help remove the protesters before the resumption of the business of the house.

The disruption lasted for about 40 minutes, delaying the start of Ramaphosa’s address.