Parliament - President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday cried foul over the conduct of MPs in the National Assembly, insisting they were abusing him, and asking Speaker Baleka Mbete to do something about it.
“Each time when I come here I am abused by members of your Parliament. Instead of answering questions, I sit here being called a criminal, a thief,” a clearly irritated Zuma said at the end of his quarterly question-and-answer session, which again saw him come under fire from opposition parties, with the Economic Freedom Fighters staging a walkout after objecting to being addressed by a “criminal”.
“Your House must do something. If this House is not interested in me answering questions, then say so, then don’t call me.”
Since being reelected as president in 2014, Zuma has consistently seen his question-and-answer sessions interrupted by the Economic Freedom Fighters and other opposition parties, who insist the president is being increasingly compromised by his relationship with the Gupta family who have allegedly benefited from multi-billion rand state contracts.
The EFF on Tuesday called on Mbete to take disciplinary action against the president for violating the Constitution when he failed to heed the directive of public protector Thuli Madonsela to pay back a portion of the money used to upgrade his Nkandla residence. On Monday, both the presidency and treasury confirmed Zuma reimbursed taxpayers to the tune of R7.8 million.
African News Agency