Cape Town - The tabling of the Presidency budget vote descended into chaos on Thursday as the EFF refused to be addressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa, whom they described as an alleged criminal.
National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula had her hand full as points of order were repeatedly raised by the red berets and at times by some form the governing party.
The drama started just after Ramaphosa began his speech when EFF MP Anthony Matumba raised a point of order.
Matumba could not finish his point of order when Mapisa-Nqakula ruled him out of order.
ANC deputy chief whip Doris Dlakude said they were meant to consider the budget vote and that they would not allow anything to be done except the budget.
It was at this point that EFF leader Julius Malema insisted that Matumba be allowed to make his point of order.
“I don’t think we are to run this Parliament like that. You don’t give the speaker an opportunity to express himself,” Malema said.
From here, the House degenerated with more points of order being made and shouting on the virtual platform, which was at some point muted.
During the ensuing drama Matumba’s colleague Tseko Mafanya said they could not be addressed by Ramaphosa, who has a case of criminality opened against him.
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— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) June 9, 2022
Honourable @madlomo37 was manhandled today for calling for Public Representatives to be allowed to speak on the virtual platform
Honorable Babalwa rightfully called Ramaphosa a money launderer and was attacked by men!#EFFInParliament pic.twitter.com/Dd2Evr2wnJ
Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele then pleaded that MPs making repeat points of order should be ejected in line with rules.
“I want to follow every step to the letter when I throw people out,” Mapisa-Nqakula said.
Instead of order being brought to the House, degeneration continued with EFF MP Natasha Ntlangwini insisting they could not be addressed by an alleged money-launderer and a criminal.
“We can’t be addressed by a person who is accused of heinous crimes,” she said.
When Ntlangwini was called to withdraw her unparliamentary statement, EFF deputy leader Floyd Shivambu came to her defence.
During the drama Matumba and Ntlangwini were ejected after the parliamentary protection services were called in. Others were also later ejected, including one who staged a one-woman protest demanding that the microphones be unmuted when Ramaphosa subsequently delivered his speech.
As the row erupted over the pair’s ejection, Shivambu demanded that an ANC MP whom he claimed called the red berets murderers should withdraw that.
He charged that the EFF was being mistaken for the president who killed workers in Marikana.
“The message is very clear to say that we can't be addressed by a money launderer. We can’t be addressed by a criminal. We can’t be addressed by a kidnapper,” he said.
After almost an hour of points of order, Malema announced that they would not listen to Ramaphosa’s speech.
When Ramaphosa finally addressed the House, he said the citizens should come first in all that they did.
“The greatest disservice we can do to our people at this difficult time in the life of our nation is to become distracted from the task at hand,” he said.
Ramaphosa also said South Africans want above all else improvement of the quality of their lives.
“They do not care for political squabbles, rivalries, plots, and intrigue.
“They want better basic services. They want jobs and opportunities to better themselves,” he said.
He noted that there was cause for optimism as the economy was beginning to show positive signs of recovery.
“I present this Presidency budget vote in the week that StatsSA announced that in the first quarter of 2022 the South African economy grew by 1.9 percent.
“The growth we have experienced in recent quarters has brought the economy to pre-pandemic levels much sooner than analysts expected,” he said.
Ramaphosa also said the recovery was consistent across most of the major sectors of the economy, such as manufacturing, trade, utilities, finance, personal services, mining, and agriculture.
The budget debate is still continuing with the parties, including the opposition, taking their bites.
Cape Times