Parliament - Insults rained on President Jacob Zuma from the opposition as he appeared in the National Assembly to answer questions on Thursday, with an Economic Freedom Fighters MP charging that the chamber could not be addressed by “a rapist”.
The EFF’s Elsabe Ntlangwini withdrew the remark after she was reprimanded by Speaker Baleka Mbete, only to insist that “Duduzane’s father” had no place in Parliament, using the name of Zuma’s controversial businessman son.
Party leader Julius Malema repeatedly made the same point, and used the same deft insult.
When Mbete tried to silence him, he shot back that she should get used to the fact that the opposition had a right to be heard in the National Assembly. He accused her of abusing her power.
Half an hour into the sitting Mbete threatened to ask Malema to leave the Chamber.
“I am saying that I am done with points of order, so you are all warned,” Mbete added.
The EFF was not alone in hurling insults, with Agang-SA MP Andries Tlouamme saying he too did not wish Zuma to speak.
“His presidency is like a crime in progress,” he said.