EFF warned Speaker Thandi Modise will crackdown on SONA disruptions

President Cyril Ramaphosa is seen outside Parliament before delivering his State of the Nation Address at a joint sitting of the National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). File picture: David Ritchie/African News Agency (ANA)

President Cyril Ramaphosa is seen outside Parliament before delivering his State of the Nation Address at a joint sitting of the National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP). File picture: David Ritchie/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Feb 11, 2020

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Johannesburg - Parliament's presiding officers have promised to clamp down on any planned disruption by the EFF during the State of the Nation Address on Thursday. 

National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise and Amos Masondo, the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, said they had put all the measures in place to deal with the unruly behaviour of members of Parliament.

EFF leader Julius Malema insisted this week that they would disrupt President Cyril Ramaphosa when he delivers the SONA.

But Modise and Masondo said would not allow any disruption of the SONA. 

“Open threats to disrupt the work of Parliament, including the propagation of conspiracy theories, are not in the interests of the public. They serve only as attempts to distract Parliament from its work,” said spokesperson for Parliament, Moloto Mothapo.

 “Parties or members of parliament with evidence of any alleged plot to unlawfully use police in the Chamber during SONA are advised to submit it to the presiding officers,” he said.

Mothapo said the rules were in place to handle the disruption of Parliament. 

Malema said they would disrupt SONA if Ramaphosa failed to fire Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan by Thursday.

But the presiding officers of Parliament said they would apply the rules accordingly.

Political Bureau

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