EFF takes issue with presiding officers

EFF leader Julius Malema. File picture: Itumeleng English

EFF leader Julius Malema. File picture: Itumeleng English

Published Jul 31, 2014

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Cape Town - A retired judge should be appointed to chair parliamentary debates, EFF leader Julius Malema suggested on Thursday.

Briefing journalists after an Economic Freedom Fighters' caucus meeting, Malema called into question the objectivity of Parliament's current presiding officers.

“We are not impressed at all with these presiding officers because of their partisan attitude when they deal with matters of Parliament,” Malema said.

“Everything they do, the ANC tells them what to do.”

The appointment of a retired judge would cut out “subjective rulings”.

“We should have a retired judge presiding over the two Houses... so that there is objective rulings on any matter,” he said.

“Retired judges are not scared of anything. They are not looking for promotion.”

Several of the 25 EFF MPs have been ruled out of order many times since they were sworn in in the National Assembly on May 21.

Malema was ordered to leave a joint parliamentary sitting last month after refusing to withdraw a remark accusing the ANC of murdering mineworkers in Marikana in 2012.

He has since filed papers in the Western Cape High Court asking that the ruling be declared unlawful.

Malema claims his statements fall under the protection of the Constitution and wants an apology from National Council of Provinces chairwoman Thandi Modise.

In a 10-page affidavit, he claims he and the EFF have been humiliated.

Several parliamentary debates since then have seen temperatures rise, and have resulted in the ejection of other EFF MPs.

Malema said despite the rulings against them, this was only the beginning, as MPs would continue to be a “necessary irritation” in Parliament.

“We are here to make them run for their money. They are sleeping here,” he said.

“We are going to hit them hard towards the point where the real person comes out.”

Malema also took a swipe at ANC MPs, calling them “weak” after he and his party were compared to former German dictator Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party.

The claims were originally made by Deputy Minister in the Presidency Buti Manamela during a parliamentary debate.

“What they know is slogans, songs and rhetoric,” he said.

“They are very good at howling. Sometimes you can even think they are drunk the way they howl,” Malema said.

Sapa

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