President Jacob Zuma has expressed regret and disappointment over yesterday’s chaos in Parliament‚ when a planned question and answer session between him and MPs was adjourned due to the Economic Freedom Fighters’ “pay back the money” protest.
Zuma’s office said in a statement today (Friday) he was disappointed that he was “yet again prevented from fulfilling his constitutional mandate to report to the public through the National Assembly”.
“President Zuma presented himself for his quarterly oral reply session in the National Assembly. It is regrettable that yet again‚ some members of the National Assembly made it impossible for the President to respond to questions‚” the statement read.
“The Presidency rejects the statement made by some opposition leaders that that the President undermines the constitution and evades accountability. President Zuma has always honoured his Parliamentary obligations to appear before the house. The President has to respond to oral questions four times a year in the National Assembly and once in the National Council of Provinces.
He presented himself yesterday‚ 18 June‚ and the session was disrupted by some MPs. The same disruption occurred on August 21. The President responded to oral replies in the NCOP on 14 May 2015. His next oral reply session in the National Assembly is in August 2015. The President remains committed to appearing in the National Assembly to respond to questions.”
National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete yesterday suspended proceedings after two and a half hours of EFF disruption‚ saying that the EFF was undermining the will of South Africa’s people.
Despite an agreement between all other parties that questions to the president must continue‚ the EFF caucus persisted in shouting “Pay back the money” even as Zuma took to the podium to answer questions.
The other opposition parties felt that MPs had been deprived of an opportunity to question Zuma and put him on the spot‚ and had provided him with an opportunity to avoid answering tough questions again.
During a stormy closed meeting of representatives of all major political parties yesterday afternoon while the National Assembly stood adjourned‚ EFF representatives made it clear that they would continue disrupting parliamentary sittings until President Zuma had apologised for his behaviour in parliament.
The ANC refused to agree to this.
President Zuma was scheduled to answer six specific questions from MPs‚ with follow-up questions by other MPs‚ but none of the questions were related to Nkandla.
Because the EFF garnered only 6% of the vote in last year’s election and because the questions are awarded to parties proportionally‚ it was not the EFF’s turn to nominate a question yesterday.
Here are the questions that President Zuma would have been asked to answer yesterday:
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL REPLY
THURSDAY‚ 18 JUNE 2015
PRESIDENT
1. Ms N R Bhengu (ANC) to ask the President of the Republic:
In view of 26 June 2015 marking the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Charter‚ how does the Government intend to ensure that South Africans embrace the Freedom Charter and make it part of their lives as we seek to advance the further liberation of all who live in South Africa?
2. Rev K R J Meshoe (ACDP) to ask the President of the Republic:
Whether‚ in view of his recent Freedom Day speech on 27 April 2015 in which he commended our model Constitution which‚ inter alia‚ establishes state institutions supporting constitutional democracy in Chapter 9‚ he has found that enough is being done by other organs of state to assist and protect institutions supporting democracy and ensure their independence‚ impartiality‚ dignity and effectiveness; if not‚ what is the position in this regard?
3. Mr X Mabasa (ANC) to ask the President of the Republic:
In view of his engagement with countries on the African continent whose citizens were affected by the recent spate of attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa‚ (a) what lessons has emerged for South Africans and the continent as a whole and (b) how does the Government intend to avoid the recurrence of this kind of violence in the future?
4. The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
Whether‚ noting that Statistics South Africa recently announced that the country’s unemployment rate currently stands at 36‚1% and that the gross domestic product growth rate plummeted to 1‚3% in the first quarter of this year and bearing in mind that this burden is felt most heavily by unemployed young persons‚ he has found that his Ministers in the portfolios of (a) Economic Development‚ (b) Small Business Development and (c) Trade and Industry have been unable to carry out their individual mandates to create jobs and grow the economy?
5. Mr M S A Masango (ANC) to ask the President of the Republic:
In view of the pending 60th anniversary of the Freedom Charter which contains a key principle relating to peace and friendship‚ (a) to what extent has the Government contributed towards the creation of peace and friendship between (i) Palestine and Israel‚ (ii) Cuba and the United States of America and (iii) the Great Lakes Region and (b) what are the current prospects of peace in each of these regions?
6. Mr L R M Mbinda (PAC) to ask the President of the Republic:
With reference to his reply to oral question 5 on 16 April 2015 and in light of the delays after 21 years into democracy in considering the applications for pardon of prisoners of war from various political formations‚ (a) does the Government therefore disassociate itself from the struggle of these applicants against apartheid and colonialism‚ (b) what has been the progress with regard to the Special Dispensation Process that should have dealt with such prisoners since his reply‚ (c) how many political prisoners have been released on presidential pardon since his reply and (d) whether the Government assessed the social conditions under which they live at present?
The questions Zuma was to be asked in Parliament: Political prisoners‚ xenophobia and unemployment
President Jacob Zuma has expressed regret and disappointment over yesterday’s chaos in Parliament‚ when a planned question and answer session between him and MPs was adjourned due to the Economic Freedom Fighters’ “pay back the money” protest.
Zuma’s office said in a statement today (Friday) he was disappointed that he was “yet again prevented from fulfilling his constitutional mandate to report to the public through the National Assembly”.
“President Zuma presented himself for his quarterly oral reply session in the National Assembly. It is regrettable that yet again‚ some members of the National Assembly made it impossible for the President to respond to questions‚” the statement read.
“The Presidency rejects the statement made by some opposition leaders that that the President undermines the constitution and evades accountability. President Zuma has always honoured his Parliamentary obligations to appear before the house. The President has to respond to oral questions four times a year in the National Assembly and once in the National Council of Provinces.
He presented himself yesterday‚ 18 June‚ and the session was disrupted by some MPs. The same disruption occurred on August 21. The President responded to oral replies in the NCOP on 14 May 2015. His next oral reply session in the National Assembly is in August 2015. The President remains committed to appearing in the National Assembly to respond to questions.”
National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete yesterday suspended proceedings after two and a half hours of EFF disruption‚ saying that the EFF was undermining the will of South Africa’s people.
Despite an agreement between all other parties that questions to the president must continue‚ the EFF caucus persisted in shouting “Pay back the money” even as Zuma took to the podium to answer questions.
The other opposition parties felt that MPs had been deprived of an opportunity to question Zuma and put him on the spot‚ and had provided him with an opportunity to avoid answering tough questions again.
During a stormy closed meeting of representatives of all major political parties yesterday afternoon while the National Assembly stood adjourned‚ EFF representatives made it clear that they would continue disrupting parliamentary sittings until President Zuma had apologised for his behaviour in parliament.
The ANC refused to agree to this.
President Zuma was scheduled to answer six specific questions from MPs‚ with follow-up questions by other MPs‚ but none of the questions were related to Nkandla.
Because the EFF garnered only 6% of the vote in last year’s election and because the questions are awarded to parties proportionally‚ it was not the EFF’s turn to nominate a question yesterday.
Here are the questions that President Zuma would have been asked to answer yesterday:
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL REPLY
THURSDAY‚ 18 JUNE 2015
PRESIDENT
1. Ms N R Bhengu (ANC) to ask the President of the Republic:
In view of 26 June 2015 marking the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Charter‚ how does the Government intend to ensure that South Africans embrace the Freedom Charter and make it part of their lives as we seek to advance the further liberation of all who live in South Africa?
2. Rev K R J Meshoe (ACDP) to ask the President of the Republic:
Whether‚ in view of his recent Freedom Day speech on 27 April 2015 in which he commended our model Constitution which‚ inter alia‚ establishes state institutions supporting constitutional democracy in Chapter 9‚ he has found that enough is being done by other organs of state to assist and protect institutions supporting democracy and ensure their independence‚ impartiality‚ dignity and effectiveness; if not‚ what is the position in this regard?
3. Mr X Mabasa (ANC) to ask the President of the Republic:
In view of his engagement with countries on the African continent whose citizens were affected by the recent spate of attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa‚ (a) what lessons has emerged for South Africans and the continent as a whole and (b) how does the Government intend to avoid the recurrence of this kind of violence in the future?
4. The Leader of the Opposition (DA) to ask the President of the Republic:
Whether‚ noting that Statistics South Africa recently announced that the country’s unemployment rate currently stands at 36‚1% and that the gross domestic product growth rate plummeted to 1‚3% in the first quarter of this year and bearing in mind that this burden is felt most heavily by unemployed young persons‚ he has found that his Ministers in the portfolios of (a) Economic Development‚ (b) Small Business Development and (c) Trade and Industry have been unable to carry out their individual mandates to create jobs and grow the economy?
5. Mr M S A Masango (ANC) to ask the President of the Republic:
In view of the pending 60th anniversary of the Freedom Charter which contains a key principle relating to peace and friendship‚ (a) to what extent has the Government contributed towards the creation of peace and friendship between (i) Palestine and Israel‚ (ii) Cuba and the United States of America and (iii) the Great Lakes Region and (b) what are the current prospects of peace in each of these regions?
6. Mr L R M Mbinda (PAC) to ask the President of the Republic:
With reference to his reply to oral question 5 on 16 April 2015 and in light of the delays after 21 years into democracy in considering the applications for pardon of prisoners of war from various political formations‚ (a) does the Government therefore disassociate itself from the struggle of these applicants against apartheid and colonialism‚ (b) what has been the progress with regard to the Special Dispensation Process that should have dealt with such prisoners since his reply‚ (c) how many political prisoners have been released on presidential pardon since his reply and (d) whether the Government assessed the social conditions under which they live at present?
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