Cape Town - The Economic Freedom Fighters said the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday handed the people of Marikana a victory by ruling that its MPs had been within their rights to tell National Assembly that the ANC had killed people in the North West mining town.
“We welcome the high court ruling. It is a victory for the mineworkers of Marikana who deserve to have their story told and told with precision,” EFF spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi told ANA.
“It is also a victory for democracy and in particular the principle of free speech,” he said.
In June last year, National Council of Provinces chairwoman Thandi Modise ruled that the remark, made by EFF leader Julius Malema, was unparliamentary. The court set aside that ruling, finding that Malema’s remark was fair comment.
Ndlozi said this was an embarrassment to Parliament because it showed that the EFF understood the rules of the legislature better than the presiding officers.
“It is an embarrassment to them that we should go to court for something so simple. The entire leadership of Parliament was wrong on this issue and should stop using Parliament to settle political scores.
“We will be their every time and will embarrass them again if they do.”
He urged President Jacob Zuma to release the final report of the Marikana commission of enquiry. The findings were handed to him at the end of March.
ANA