EFF members being removed from the Cape Town City Hall by the presidential task force and Parliament's officials as President Cyril Ramaphosa attempted to deliver his State of the Nation Address on 9 February 2023. Picture by Esa Alexander/AFP
Just hours before the State of the Nation Address (Sona), the Economic Freedom Fighters has announced a party-wide boycott of the event.
This comes after the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday ruled that six EFF MPs including leader Julius Malema would not be allowed to attend Thursday’s address.
In reaction, the EFF rejected the Western Cape High Court’s ruling and announced all members would boycott the Sona.
“Consequently, all EFF Members of Parliament will not participate in the 2024 SONA activities and programme, as these are undemocratic and unconstitutional and the so-called State of the Nation Address in 2024 is an extended caucus of the ANC.
“Partial participation in the 2024 SONA activities and programme would imply that some of our Members agree with the unlawful, undemocratic, and unconstitutional decisions of Parliament to forbid and banish elected Members of Parliament. We will, therefore, not attend or participate in the ANC’s extended Parliamentary caucus,” the party said
The EFF said it will appeal the ruling of the Western Cape High Court to ensure there is no legal precedent that permits Parliament to forbid elected Members of Parliament from holding the executive accountable.
EFF MP Nazier Paulsen told The Citizen: “Effectively, if you ban the commander in chief and deputy president from Sona in leading the EFF caucus, you are interfering with the leadership of an organisation and the ANC cannot dictate to the EFF as to who should be using their clandestine processes in Parliament from interfering in the leadership of the EFF.”
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Paulsen said while the members have been banned from Parliament, the rest of the caucus attending Sona will still hold Ramaphosa to account.
“About the new rules adopted by Parliament without the support of the EFF, is most draconian. It says you cannot interrupt a President. That is a constitution of the delinquent that doesn’t want to be held to account.
“Our duty as elected public representatives to hold the executive to account is to make sure that matters aren’t swept under the carpet,” Paulsen said.
The Western Cape High Court last month struck off the roll with costs the EFF’s application to suspend disciplinary sanctions against Malema, Shivambu, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, Marshall Dlamini, Vuyani Pambo and Sinawo Thambo who disrupted the Sona last year.
They were slapped with a sanction of suspension without pay for February.
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