EFF delay start of #SONA2016

Photo: MojoIOL

Photo: MojoIOL

Published Feb 11, 2016

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Parliament – The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) interrupted Speaker Baleka Mbete as soon as she tried to address the National Assembly ahead of President Jacob Zuma's State of the Nation speech in Parliament on Thursday.

EFF chief whip Floyd Shivambu rose to make a point of order, followed by EFF leader Julius Malema and spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, who mocked her as "an internationally-renowned speaker of non-violence".

Mbete and Malema spoke simultaneously as she insisted that she would not allow business other than Zuma's State of the Nation Address.

"On this occasion, no other address than that by the president is entertained," Mbete said.

The EFF continued to rise and speak, drawing a warning from Mbete that they were deliberately disrupting the sitting and that she could ask them to leave.

Read:  EFF delay start of #SONA2016

 Mbete warned Malema and other MPs to allow the house to proceed with the reading of the president's speech, failure to which he should leave the chamber. 

Zuma briefly walked out of the lawmakers' gallery, but later returned to the chamber and started reading his speech. 

The speech was immediately marred by jeers from opposition members of parliament of the Congress of the People party led by a former cabinet minister, Mosiuoa Lekota, who said: "He has broken his oath. We cannot listen to him."

Lekota left the chamber after he was ordered out by the Speaker. 

Zuma then started his State of the Nation Address.

Earlier Zuma, the man once commonly referred to as the People’s President, was booed as he made his way down Plein Street to Parliament.

“Zuma must fall, Zuma must fall!” shouted DA supporters.

The clear disapproval of the president occurred at the start of his regular procession which kicks off the State of the Nation Address.

Zuma passed the booing crowd in his white bulletproof van. Inside, the usually upbeat president looked sullen with no smile or wave in sight.

African News Agency

 

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