Parliament – President Jacob Zuma and his political nemesis, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema, were both subjected to name-calling and insults on Tuesday as the words “Zupta” and “Juligans” became currency in the National Assembly.
Tabling notices without motion, several EFF MPs referred to Zuma as Zupta – a reference to Zuma’s apparent close links with the influential Gupta family. Speaker Baleka Mbete insisted they withdraw their remarks.
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EFF MP Mmabatho Mokause begrudgingly withdrew her “Zupta” remarks, but her chief whip Floyd Shivambu would not budge on the issue.
“There is nothing wrong with saying the word Zupta in this Parliament. It’s not unparliamentary because we are going to use it consistently…,” he said.
Shivambu was eventually ejected after he called Mbete by her first name.
“Don’t do that. You have no right to call me by my first name… and in fact you must leave the house,” a visibly angry Mbete said.
Shivambu continued shouting: “On which grounds?”
Mbete replied with: “On the grounds that you are even calling the chair by the first name and that amounts to disrespect. Honourable Shivambu please leave.”
After Shivambu’s exit, the name-calling persisted as Deputy Basic Education Minister Enver Surty offered an analogy to explain why the word “Zupta” was offensive and insulting to the president.
“If I were to call the honourable members Juligans simply because I associate the word Julius with hooligans then they would find that offensive,” he said.
“The honourable member had in the past suggested that the honourable president was being manipulated by the Guptas and the combination of the word Gupta and Zuma are a clear demonstration of that belief and is indeed regarded as being offensive.”
EFF MPs demanded an apology, but Mbete said she would study the recording of the sitting before making a ruling.
African News Agency
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