EFF removed, DA leave parliament during #SONA2015
JOBURG - Members of the Economic Freedom Fighers (EFF) were escorted out of parliament and members of the Democratic Alliance (DA) left parliament before President Jacob Zuma could deliver his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on 12 February.
The country has been on tenterhooks waiting for President Jacob Zuma to deliver his address and the president started by referring to the freedom charter but an EFF member interrupted him to ask when he would “pay back the money”, referring to the security upgrades to Nkandla.
National Speaker Baleka Mbete told the EFF member that the session was not a question session but a State of the Nation Address. The EFF members were unhappy at this answer and insisted that president must answer their questions.
Mbete asked members to continue with the “business of the day”. However, she said EFF members insisted on the issue after she had explained to them that this joint seating was a special meeting by the president for him to deliver the state of the nation without any hinders from any one.”
EFF Parliamentary leader Julius Malema said, “We want the president to answer the question as to when is he going to pay the money. It is within my rights to speak, apply the rules even when the president speaks.”
Another EFF member Floyd Shivambu supported Malema, and Mbethe asked the duo to leave. The event then turned into a chaos as EFF spokesperson, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi was also asked to leave the parliament but the EFF members refused to leave.
Security guards were then called to remove the EFF members. “The security forces must come in,” Mbethe shouted. Chaos erupted in parliament as EFF members of parliament disobey the speaker’s rule to leave parliament.
Watch EFF Members get thrown out of SONA 2015
DA parliamentary leader, Mmusi Maimane blasted the use of force in parliament as a “gross violation of constitutional rights” of the members.
When Thandi Modise, chairperson of the National Council of Provinces refused to answer whether officers of the South African Police Service were deployed to remove the EFF members, the DA party left parliament.
Zuma then returned to the podium to read his address.
This was the first time in the history of the democratic South Africa that such chaos had occurred during a State of the Nation address.
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