EFF ‘misrepresentented’ Mbete comment

Cape Town-140521-Swearing in of ministers in Parliament. In pic the new speaker of the house, Baleka Mbete is ellected-Photographer-Tracey Adams

Cape Town-140521-Swearing in of ministers in Parliament. In pic the new speaker of the house, Baleka Mbete is ellected-Photographer-Tracey Adams

Published Sep 25, 2014

Share

Cape Town - The EFF had made a “gross and manipulative” misrepresentation of National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete's comments that she had “lost it” during presidential question time on August 21, Parliament said on Thursday.

“A media statement from the Economic Freedom Fighters... wrongfully claimed that Ms Mbete had admitted she was 'responsible for the collapse of the House on the 21st of August',” it said in a statement.

“This is gross and manipulative misrepresentation of what Ms Mbete said by someone who was not even at the meeting.”

On Tuesday, Mbete told the SA National Editors' Forum and Parliament's presiding officers in Johannesburg that she “lost it that day”.

“However, to reduce the cause of what went on that day to the Speaker is to really get it wrong,” she said.

The EFF on Wednesday welcomed what it called Mbete's “admission”.

“Baleka Mbete is on record admitting that she 'lost it' on that day which confirms the EFF's position all along about what happened,” spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said in a statement.

“The EFF has constantly indicated that Baleka Mbete gets emotional, which clouds her judgement as a presiding officer who must rise above and allow robust debate.”

In light of her “admission”, the Economic Freedom Fighters called on the powers and privileges committee to discontinue the disciplinary process and allow a review of parliamentary rules to restore order to the House.

On August 21, EFF leader Julius Malema objected to President Jacob Zuma's reply to a question about when he was going to repay part of the R246 million spent on security upgrades to his private Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal.

Mbete ordered EFF MPs out after they began to disrupt proceedings and started chanting “pay back the money”.

The MPs refused to leave, continuing to chant and shout slogans, forcing Mbete to adjourn proceedings with the remainder of Zuma's questions unanswered.

On September 16, opposition leaders walked out of Parliament leaving the ANC to defeat a vote of no confidence in Mbete.

On Tuesday, the EFF said it would go to court to challenge disciplinary charges against 20 MPs stemming from their heckling of Zuma.

Sapa

Related Topics: