Parliament says its rules are ready to be put into action during this month’s State of the Nation Address (SONA). Last year there was commotion in the house during SONA.
Economic Freedom Front (EFF) members were kicked out for trying to get President Jacob Zuma to answer questions regarding payments for non-security improvements at his home in Nkandla.
But Secretary to parliament Gengezi Mgidlana says they are confident all will go well this year.
After several acts of disruption by EFF, parliament hastily started rearranging its rules. Security services have been given greater powers to remove members from sittings by force.
It is these rule that the secretary and the secretaries of the two houses briefed the media on. But members of the media were also interested in other things, like whether parliament has recruited any new members to tighten its security service.
Mgidlana says there has not been any such recruitment. “We still have the staff complement. We continuously train staff. There’s not recruitment that we have done for SONA.”
Click below to watch the EFF being kicked out of SONA 2015:
There were also questions about whether there is a likelihood of events like the signal blockage that occurred during last year’s SONA that saw members of the media unable to use their phones from the media gallery.
The secretary says nothing like that will happen this year. He says they have been given assurance by State Security Minister David Mahlobo that this will not happen again. “We are confident on our side. We are planning for a successful event free of any eventualities that may have been caused by us or those we work with. We are basically expecting no mishaps.”
At the end of last year parliament was hit by a lengthy strike as staff demanded improved bonuses. There were threats then that workers under the banner of trade union NEHAWU could go on strike this year.
This would have a negative impact on preparations for SONA. Mgidlana says parliament is implementing its agreement with the unions and therefore there is no likelihood of disruptions by staff. “Subsequent to some of the statements, we reached agreement around issues which all parties and working towards implementation. Matters in disagreement were agreed to.”
The SONA will take place next week on Thursday evening.
– By Joseph Mosia
