The African National Congress (ANC) has called on Parliament to act decisively against acts of physical intimidation by Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MPs.
On Thursday, chaos broke out when they disrupted Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan’s budget vote speech, calling him a constitutional delinquent.
The EFF earlier raised several points of order, which were dismissed. They clashed with security and were evicted from the House after attempting to confront Gordhan at the podium.
The ANC and opposition parties have condemned their action. The Democratic Alliance (DA) called for EFF MPs to be charged for gross disorderly conduct.
Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu has also thrown his weight behind Gordhan.
“We would like to tell those who ill-treated Pravin yesterday that we stand with him against them whoever they are. I can tell you why they hate Pravin with a passion, it’s because he fought corruption in the state-owned entities then stood on the corrupt toes of the cronies, of some EFF people. That’s why people are so angry. That’s why they wanted him to be taken out of Cabinet because he saw corruption as the minister responsible for state-owned entities. He did not pretend as if corruption doesn’t exist, he took it head on.”
On the same day, the EFF said it had instructed its lawyers to join in the defense of the Public Protector on the urgent interdict lodged by Gordhan.
Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane found among others that Gordhan contravened the constitution by establishing the so-called South African Reveue Service (SARS) rogue unit when he was SARS Commissioner.
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