Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma can expect a torrid time in Parliament this week, with opposition political parties gunning for his head over his “flat and uninspiring” State of the Nation address last Thursday.
Zuma can also brace himself for a tough grilling for the unprecedented events in Parliament when security police dragged EFF MPs out of the National Assembly and the jamming of cellphone reception signal. The president will also have to deal with ANC chairwoman Baleka Mbete’s suitability as the Speaker of Parliament, a concern heightened by her public rants about EFF leader Julius Malema at the weekend, as well as the persistent concerns around the Nkandla scandal.
The DA’s Parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane, who was due to respond to Zuma’s speech on Tuesday, said he demand that the president answer questions about how he intends to deal with the energy crisis, economic growth and unemployment as well as corruption.
“The issue is that the president didn’t deliver a plan on resolving issues of unemployment and the energy crisis,” Maimane said on Monday, reiterating that Zuma's speech was flat and uninspiring.
“I am not sure … if he offered enough, in terms of how he is going to rollout economic infrastructure, improve the number of people unemployed and enabling small businesses to thrive.”
Maimane said he would also raise concerns around the abuse of state institutions, including Parliament and the law enforcement agencies.
“Clearly, he didn’t even mention anything about dealing with corruption…And without fail, our concern also relates to the collapse of government institutions. Many of the institutions have, under the President’s watch, fallen apart, notwithstanding Parliament, NPA (National Prosecution Authority), SARS (SA Revenue Services).”
Maimane said the DA will give some alternative solutions to the problem, but that he was not hopeful that Zuma would take those into consideration.
Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder echoed Maimane’s statements, saying Zuma must answer questions about dealing with the energy crisis and corruption.
“Infrastructure and Eskom, I think it’s the big issues. I think the president is using the wrong arguments because we produced more power in the past than now,” said Mulder, who is expected to respond to Zuma’s speech on Wednesday.
He added: “Most probably Nkandla will be among the issues. He (Zuma) must solve the problem and the problem is that (Public Protector) Thuli Madonsela said there is some money that must be paid back. The president said he is not going to pay unless this and this, and it seems to drag on and on. Please just give us the answer so that you can govern this country.”
He said he would also raise concerns around Mbete after she called Malema a cockroach at the weekend.
“It’s unacceptable that the Speaker cannot separate between her two roles. You cannot one day call MP a cockroach whatever, and the next day you must stand in front and be impartial. It doesn't work that way.”
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said he did not want to give anything, only saying he expected the president to answer questions when he is expected to respond on Thursday. The EFF and IFP could not immediately be reached be reached for comment, but both parties had also raised dissatisfaction with Zuma’s speech.