#ZumaQandA: Cope, EFF object to Zuma’s presence

President Jacob Zuma. File picture: Phill Magakoe

President Jacob Zuma. File picture: Phill Magakoe

Published Sep 13, 2016

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President Jacob Zuma’s question-and-answer session in the National Assembly got off to a rocky start again on Tuesday after opposition party MPs objected to him being allowed to speak, questioning the president’s honour.

Congress of the People MP Willie Madisha and his colleague Deidre Carter were the first to raise objections.

“We insist that he is not honourable. He is not trustworthy. He is not representing the people. The only question he must answer is when is he resigning as president of our country?”

Speaker Baleka Mbete ruled him out of order. Madisha and Carter then staged a walkout.

As Zuma began to to speak, Economic Freedom Fighters’ leader Julius Malema then interjected.

“We are committing a serious constitutional blunder by allowing the president to speak in this house,” Malema said, referring to a Constitutional Court judgement that found Zuma had violated the Constitution when he failed to heed a directive from the public protector to pay back a portion of the money used for upgrades to his Nkandla residence. He has since paid back the money.

Malema said he wrote to Mbete’s office twice to ask her to take disciplinary action against the president before he is allowed to speak in the House.

“I’m not gonna allow a criminal to speak in this House, when you are doing nothing about this criminal.”

African News Agency

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