EFF warns of more disruptions to come as MPs storm out of SONA
Updated | By Nokukhanya N Mntambo
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) resolved to leave Parliament during President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday night.
Ramaphosa was expected to deliver the annual SONA during the official opening of Parliament, when the National Assembly was disrupted by a number of motions by the EFF.
The sitting got off to a rough start when EFF leader Julius Malema raised a point of order, calling for former president FW de Klerk to leave the house.
"We have a murderer in the house," Malema told members of Parliament.
"It is incorrect for you to have extended an invitation to De Klerk because De Klerk is a murderer, De Klerk has got blood on his hands."
#SONA2020 The Parliament gets off to a rough start - EFF's Julius Malema raises a point of order, calling for former president FW de Klerk to leave the house. pic.twitter.com/cnPEH9oHH0
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) February 13, 2020
Speaker of the National Assembly, Thandi Modise and Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Amos Masondo, struggled to get a handle on the situation, threatening to have disruptive members thrown out.
But the red berrets were not deterred.
Adding to their demands, the EFF called for Ramaphosa to fire Public Enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan.
#SONA2020 Proceedings are suspended indefinitely. pic.twitter.com/m6GidpsoOl
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) February 13, 2020
After an hour of disruptions, proceedings were briefly suspended.
Upon their return to the house, EFF Members of Parliament (MPs) stormed out and vowed to disrupt future proceedings.
"For those reasons Mr President, we will not be sitting in this house," said Malema.
He added: "if the President is not going to fire Pravin, this is going to be our relationship with the President when he appears in this Parliament for the next five years."
#SONA2020 The EFF has resolved to leave the house. pic.twitter.com/tu2Mchq9b7
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) February 13, 2020
ALSO READ:
Parliament: de Klerk is staying
"This sitting has been called for one item and one time only. To give the President the space to address the nation. It is convention that all the former Presidents who are still alive are invited to this sitting. The former President De Klerk has been invited becauses of that.
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