Opposition parties furious at soldier deployment

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma’s decision to deploy South African Defence Force soldiers for the State of the Nation Address (SONA) has not gone down well with opposition parties in parliament.

Zuma will deliver his fourth SONA to a joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces) on 9 February at 7pm.

The DA has released a statement through John Steenhuisen who is the party’s Chief Whip in Parliament. Steenhuisen said that the DA will not stand by and allow for the “people’s parliament” to be turned into a security-state show of force, meant to intimidate opposition both inside and outside of the ANC.

“The DA condemns, in the strongest terms possible, the militarisation of this year’s State of the Nation Address by President Jacob Zuma. Our message to President Zuma is clear: no number of SANDF will deter us from holding you accountable in Parliament this week, or any other day of the year. We will not be intimidated,” Steenhuisen said.

Economic Freedom Fighters spokesperson, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said that the EFF condemns the decision by the president because it gives the impression that Zuma is declaring war.

“We condemn this initiative as the unleashing of the army on the people of South Africa. It must be seen as the declaration of war on citizens, which means Zuma is planning to murder those he disagrees with at the SONA,” Ndlozi said. Congress of the People spokesperson Dennis Bloem said that they were shocked by the deployment of the soldiers in Parliament.

“Congress of the People can only describe the deployment of more than 400 soldiers to parliament for the State of the Nation address as absolutely shocking and frightening. According to the Presidency this is to assist maintain ‘law and order’. We are not at war in this country. It is completely horrible to have heavily-arrmed soldiers in Parliament, ” said Bloem.