Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has said his party will take legal action against National Assembly speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, after his member was removed from parliament during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s election.
EFF MPs were asked to leave the House after raising several points of order, suspending Sona Ramaphosa on Thursday evening.
Addressing MPs after the chaotic scene, Malema said Mapisa-Nqakula violated “every book in the law and should be declared unconstitutional and unparliamentary”.
‘Welcome to the dictatorship’
“Peaceful protest in SA is protected by the Constitution and cannot be a threat to Parliament so everything that happened today should be taken to court to be challenged,” the EFF leader said.
“When EFF members tried to demonstrate peacefully against the speech of the Constitutional Delinquent, Cyril Ramaphosa, the army and thugs came to Parliament. Ramaphosa continues to disrespect our democracy! The army has no place in Parliament!
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“Where have you ever seen elite units and counter-attack teams enter parliament in uniform? Only that happens in a dictatorship, where have you ever seen a member of the media prevented from speaking for a member of parliament? Only in a dictatorship.
“The whole country has collapsed because of protecting one person, but we can assure South Africa that we will not be tired, we will take responsibility. If they think they will sweep the problem of Phala Phala under the carpet, reduce the burden, the level of crime and GBV and unemployment in this country , we will not allow it.
“Parliament has degenerated, the executive has degenerated, the judiciary has broken down to protect one person. Welcome to the dictatorship, our country has gone against its own constitution. The responsibility of the police is outside the parliament, inside the parliament is the protection service that protects the members of parliament, but what what we see now is the president’s protection team, the attack team, on stage, inside the parliament.
“In the corridors of parliament, I found uniformed policemen with shields pushing us parliamentarians, against the decision of the constitutional court. Now we are being watched in parliament, by those who should be responsible to us.
Rules for EFF MPs only
Malema claimed that while ATM leader Vuyo Zungula was warned three times before being expelled from parliament, the same courtesy was not extended to EFF MPs.
“The speaker came ready not to allow the members of parliament to use their democratic rights. As a result, this matter will be brought to court, because there is a ruling of the constitutional court that says that members of parliament should not be considered as a group, but as individuals.
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“Members of parliament must also be called three times before they can be evicted. Some of our names were called, and we were told to leave the House but we were not warned three times as Zungula did, which means there is a rule that is under the carpet, only released when it is the EFF’s turn. . That is not can be left unchallenged.What is happening now should be declared unconstitutional.
Steenhuisen to the party
After EFF MPs were expelled from parliament, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen expressed concern that the parliamentary protection service entered the House before Mapisa-Nqakula summoned him.
“Before you issued instructions to the security services to enter the chamber, they entered the chamber, with firearms. This matter has been subject to litigation in the South African High Court which says that members of the armed forces are not allowed to enter the chamber of parliament without your permission. That is not the case and the order of events.
“I’m not asking you to make a decision now, I’m asking you to review the footage and to ensure that parliamentary rules will be followed to ensure that parliamentarians do not fear an uninvited armed insurgency from the security services to the area. chamber.”
But Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald disagreed with Steenhuisen.
He insisted that the president was pressured after the EFF stormed the stage.
Mapisa-Nqakula said she would check, as she did not notice that the security service entered the room before her order.