President Jacob Zuma has called the behaviour of MPs in Parliament an embarrassment and called on Speaker Baleka Mbete to “get your house in order“.

In his Presidency budget reply‚ which took just 30 minutes on Thursday in the absence of most opposition parties‚ he said that when he travelled in the rest of Africa‚ “people ask me embarrassing questions about this Parliament“.

He said people also complained that the “drama‚ theatrics and antics” were changing perceptions of the country as a leading example of constitutional democracy“.

Speaking to Mbete‚ he asked that she please “bring this house into some order for the dignity of this country“.

Mbete responded that she had heard similar complaints from the elderly and said she hoped to invite IFP leader Mangasuthu Buthelezi to participate in meetings on the issue in the hope that MPs would behave better “when there is an elderly person among us“.

Zuma also refused to respond to any of the personal attacks made on him on Wednesday by people who were not “relevant“‚ saying that he would only respond to issues relating to the budget.