The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) wants deputy trade and industry minister Mzwandile Masina to withdraw the “vulgar threats” it says he made to a member of the opposition.

On Tuesday‚ Masina reportedly mouthed the words “I will f*** you up” at a Democratic Alliance (DA) MP.

When DA chief whip John Steenhuisen protested‚ Masina‚ who was speaking during a debate on the budget vote for the Presidency‚ denied the utterance.

“The misleading impression created by Masina was members of the opposition who accused him of making such crude threats were lying‚” EFF spokesman Mbuyiseni Quintin Ndlozi said.

“The EFF is confident that members of the opposition would not lie about Masina’s threats and insults because he once insulted the then general secretary of Cosatu‚ Zwelindzima Vavi‚ on national television.”

He added that there was no motive for opposition MPs to falsely accuse Masina “as there is nothing to gain out [of] it”.

“The EFF believes that Masina must withdraw his offensive and threatening remarks in the National Assembly and apologise like any other member who has in the past been required to do so when found to have used unparliamentary language.”

Failure to do so‚ Ndlozi said‚ would empower “any other member of the executive…to freely threaten the opposition‚ insult it and go unpunished”.

On Tuesday‚ the house chair‚ Thoko Didiza‚ said she could not rule on the issue as she did no witness the alleged exchange‚ but would consult the record of proceedings.