Durban - State security bodies are on high alert before the opening of the KZN provincial legislature on Thursday, and the State of the Province Address on Friday, to prevent possible disruptions.
The move comes in the wake of the recent drama in the National Assembly when President Jacob Zuma was disrupted during his State of the Nation Address.
A source close to the planning processes told the Daily News on Tuesday that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), whose national MPs had to be removed from Parliament after the disruptions there, had come up.
“Although there are only two members of the party in the provincial legislature, it was agreed that the state security organs should be on high alert during the two days,” the source said.
“The two members are not considered a threat but because the events will be held in a public space (Royal Show Grounds, Pietermaritzburg), it is necessary for security to be alert in case there are members from the public gallery who might decide to disrupt the events.”
The provincial government on Tuesday hosted a Provincial Prayer Day to seek divine intervention for the smooth opening of the legislature and the State of the Province Address.
The prayer was held in Ladysmith where representatives of different religious denominations prayed for calm.
The event was hosted by the Office of the Premier and the KZN Legislature.
Several legislature openings in the country have been marred by disruptive incidents where security forces had to be called to restore order.
During the State of the Nation Address, Speaker Baleka Mbethe called for parliamentary security, and eventually the SAPS, to remove the EFF members from the House.
On Friday, ANC members heckled Western Cape premier Helen Zille while she was giving her Address in the legislature, and the EFF disrupted Gauteng premier, David Makhura’s address on Monday.
On Tuesday, Speaker of the KZN Legislature, Lydia Johnson, appealed for prayers from the leaders of different religious denominations who attended the prayer day.
“We want to ask for your intervention; for your prayers to guide us as we set out to undertake this important task of improving the lives of the people,” Johnson said.
Legislature spokesman, Wonder Hlongwa, said among those present were representatives from the Hindu, Nazareth, Christian, Muslim, Jewish and African traditional religious communities.
The EFF said it was not moved by the security planning.
“We noted Premier Senzo Mchunu’s utterances during the ANC’s eThekwini regional elective conference that if we were to do what happened at the National Assembly, we would be crushed,” said the EFF’s provincial convener, MPL Vusi Khoza.
He said his party received the invitation for this week’s events with dress code stipulations. “We will be at both events in our full regalia,” Khoza said.
The head of provincial government communications, Thamsanqa Ngwenya, confirmed that state security organs were on high alert. He said the government expected Mchunu to deliver his State of the Province Address unhindered as “expected” by the people of KZN.
Daily News