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Cape Town — The National Assembly was once again adjourned as the EFF continued to chant “pay back the money” further delaying President Jacob Zuma’s question and answer session in Parliament yesterday. “I have exercised patients, I have implemented the rules,” Speaker Baleka Mbete said. “It must be made clear to the public that there are those who came to this Parliament to undermine the will of the people of South Africa. At this point… we can’t go on like this and I would like the house to be adjourned until we take a difference decision.”
Earlier, Mbete had to suspend proceedings in order to have an urgent meeting with the parties’ chief whips outside the chamber after the house descended into a screaming match. On return from the meeting, each party gave a statement on what happened in the meeting.
ANC deputy chief whip Doris Dlakuda said the parties agreed to continue with the question and answer session with the president except for the EFF. “Another burning issue is the issue of Nkandla. Yes all parties raised that, so yes we agreed that we are going to put that aside and deal with the business of today,” Dlakuda told Parliament.
The DA agreed that the day’s proceedings continue.
The opposition party’s Chief Whip John Steenhuisen said that while it felt Zuma should pay back the money the work of Parliament had to continue.
“This Parliament is one of the few institutions in the country which has not been captured by the state,” he said.
Other opposition parties agreed that proceedings should continue. However, the EFF said it would not stop asking Zuma when he planned to pay back the money.
EFF Chief Whip Floyd Shivambu said the party would not stop until Zuma gave a definite answer. “We need clarity in terms of that . . . The people of South African can’t be asked to protect chickens and cattle [at Nkandla] . . . we want to be told when he is going to pay back the money.”
EFF leader Julius Malema asked that when Zuma take the podium he start with the Nkandla matter.
He blamed the collapse of the House on the ANC trying to protect Zuma. “This over protection of the president has collapsed this house. You can be guaranteed the president will have to answer this question today… you can say no. [But] we are stuck at a point where the president has to tell us when he will pay back the money.
“We will never believe anything he says until he confirms that he will comply with the remedial actions of the public protector,” Malema said.
Mbete battled to control the EFF members, who then started chanting forcing her to adjourn. She adjourned the House while Steenhuisen was still trying to address her.
Meanwhile, EFF’s chants in Parliament were no more than a publicity stunt, said the office of the chief whip of the ANC after rowdy exchanges shut the house down again yesterday.
“It is clear that the EFF came to today’s sitting with a clear purpose and orchestrated plan to disrupt the sitting,” said the statement from ANC Chief Whip Stone Sizani’s office.
He said the EFF’s demand that Zuma first answer their question on when he was going to repay the money was in violation of the procedures and rules of the house.
According to the rules, questions had to be submitted on the Question Paper before the sitting, with an option for a follow up question. “But clearly the intention was never to ask a question or to hold the President to account, but to stage some publicity stunt through disrupting the House and rendering it dysfunctional,” the ANC whip’s office said.
Zuma appeared relaxed, one arm leaning over his chair as the noisy scene unfolded.
Calling the EFF’s actions “self-seeking headlines-grabbing stunts” and “repugnant”, Sizani said: “This has to come to an end! “As parliamentary parties, we owe it to the nation to ensure that this important institution of our constitutional democracy is functional, effective and continues to enjoy the confidence of the people of South Africa.”
The opposition Democratic Alliance were equally livid at having Parliament adjourned, and said the EFF had played into the ANC’s hands, making it a win for Zuma and a loss to the people of South Africa.
“Today, the President escaped being held accountable yet again,” said the opposition’s Chief Whip Steenhuisen.
This meant the president did not answer questions on the state of Chapter Nine institutions, slow economic growth and the unemployment crisis. “The issue of the President’s corruption at Nkandla is important to all South Africans. And the DA will not relent in its fight to have the President repay a fair portion of the undue benefit he received from the upgrades to his private residence at Nkandla. But today’s sitting was neither the time nor the place to raise this issue.”
He said the EFF were aware that Nkandla was not up for discussion, but pressed on about the controversy anyway, delaying and finally leading to proceedings being adjourned.
“We cannot allow the singular focus of one party to prevent the debate of important issues as they attempt to score political points.” – Sapa.
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