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By Daniel Friedman

Digital news editor


Sona forecast: Partly cloudy with a 90% chance of EFF chaos

Disruptions are to be expected at the 2019 State of the Nation address, according to social media.


The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have threatened to do one of the things they are most famous for – disrupting the annual state of the nation address (Sona) and transforming the proceedings into chaos.

At a media briefing on Sona held last week, National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete and National Council of Provinces chairperson Thandi Modise said no “extraordinary measures” had been put in place as they were not expecting any disruptions.

But the party has threatened to turn the address into a question-and-answer session, demanding that Ramaphosa “come clean” on the R500,000 donation made by highly controversial facilities management company Bosasa to his campaign for the presidency of the ANC.

EFF chairperson Dali Mpofu told SAFM that it was Ramaphosa, not the EFF, who should be blamed if there are disruptions.

“Ramaphosa will be the one disrupting the Sona because we cannot sit when we have a president who has lied. We cannot be addressed by someone on serious matters of the state when he has committed an impeachable offence. So, if Ramaphosa continues without addressing the Bosasa matter, he will be the one disrupting the Sona,” Mpofu said.

READ MORE: It’s Ramaphosa who will disrupt Sona, not the EFF – Mpofu

Presidency spokesperson Khusela Diko has called the EFF’s disruption threats “very unfortunate” and said it would be politically opportunistic for parties to use the Sona to push their own agendas.

Diko added that both the DA and EFF have taken the president to the public protector over the matter and that the investigation should be allowed to run its course.

“It would be best for her (Mkhwebane) to be allowed to conclude her work unhindered,” she said.

While Mbete and Modise may not be expecting disruptions, it seems the people of social media, from red-beret-wearing EFF supporters to their greatest detractors, expect the usual EFF fireworks, although they are divided on whether this will be a good thing or a bad thing.

(Additional reporting by Vhahangwele Nemakonde and Gopolang Chawane)

https://twitter.com/TheGrantC/status/1093406238745026560

https://twitter.com/IamAdvMMafela/status/1093396501395591169

https://twitter.com/amo_Muse/status/1093418757270188034

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