Cape Town - President Jacob Zuma’s office on Friday said it was disappointed by the disruption of Thursday’s presidential reply session in the National Assembly in which the Economic Freedom Fighters again confronted him about the cost of his Nkandla home.
“President Zuma presented himself for his quarterly oral reply session in the National Assembly. It is regrettable that yet again, some members of the National Assembly made it impossible for the president to respond to questions,” his office said in a statement.
Zuma is due in the chamber for another question and answer session in August.
On Thursday, Speaker Baleka Mbete adjourned proceedings after the EFF chanted “pay back the money” and demanded Zuma declare when he would reimburse a portion of the R246 million of taxpayers’ money used on the Nkandla project, despite a report by the minister of police that all the upgrades were of a security nature and the president was therefore absolved of any liability.
Almost all other opposition parties supported the EFF’s calls that Zuma be held accountable for the Nkandla scandal, but said it should not be done at the expense of other critical questions put to Zuma in Thursday’s question paper.
The EFF refused to let the sitting go ahead if Zuma did not answer on Nkandla, drawing harsh criticism from the other opposition parties.
In the end Mbete adjourned proceedings, later explaining that calling in the security forces to remove the errant MPs was never an option.
Instead, she said, she deliberately allowed the chaotic events to play itself out before the South African public.
“Under the circumstances, it [calling police into the chamber] didn’t pose itself as an option today [Thursday] and it also helps to be able to allow certain occurrences to unfold, to allow not only members of Parliament, political parties that are represented here, but also the public to observe for themselves and to reach their own understanding…,” she said shortly after the House was adjourned.
ANA