The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) had “free advice” for Baleki Mbete and a warning to Parliament ahead of President Jacob Zuma’s appearance in the National Assembly on Thursday.
The EFF’s Mbuyiseni Quintin Ndlozi said the “Speaker of Parliament…must come prepared to tell Zuma to answer the question as to when is he going to pay back the money unduly spent in Nkandla”.
And‚ the party warned‚ the use of might wouldn’t stop it from asking it.
“The EFF would like to reiterate that it will never be intimidated by all these efforts by the African National Congress-controlled parliament to use force and protect Zuma against a question‚” Ndlozi said.
The came as Parliament was reported to be bracing itself for the possibility of big trouble when Zuma takes questions from MPs.
On Wednesday night‚ for more than an hour and behind locked doors‚ individuals with newly issued parliamentary staff permits practised how to eject supposedly unruly elements from the National Assembly.
Earlier‚ the burly "bouncers"‚ believed to number 30‚ were seen being issued with parliamentary permits and word quickly spread that they would be used to kick out EFF members should they try to disrupt proceedings .
Sources confirmed the individuals were either former or current members of the SA Police Service.
Ndlozi went further and said the “new division is composed of members of the SAPS who were used earlier this year to assault members of EFF during the State of the Nation Address”.
“The EFF has learnt that members of the new division of the Parliamentary Protection Services specializing in bouncer functions is currently in a dress rehearsal on how they plan to assault members of the EFF during the questions session with Zuma tomorrow‚” he said.
“Nothing‚ including unjust rules of Parliament will stop us. The EFF has always said it will defy unjust laws and any rule designed to suppress opposition from holding the executive accountable which is unconstitutional and unjust and will be met with defiance from the EFF benches.”
The Times reported that a hint of what might happen was unwittingly given by Nkandla ad-hoc committee chairman Cedric Frolich on Wednesday.
"I don't care what happens in the House tomorrow afternoon. We will reconvene the meeting immediately after the presidential question-and-answer session‚" he said.
After corruption-related charges against him were struck off the roll by the Polokwane High Court on Tuesday‚ EFF leader Julius Malema said he would be facing Zuma in Parliament on Thursday.
Acting parliamentary spokesman Estelle Randall refused to say whether the spotted individuals would be in action on Thursday afternoon.
Parliament has constantly claimed that protection services issues are "operational" and therefore cannot be revealed. It has refused to provide information on the use of a car fitted with a police-type blue light by parliamentary secretary Gengezi Mgidlana.
These issues led to a big fallout at a closed meeting of the parliamentary oversight committee when acting chairman and deputy Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli adjourned proceedings as the two issues came up on the agenda.
DA chief whip John Steenhuisen warned the meeting this would have consequences on Thursday. He moved a motion saying the oversight committee was not effective and that Tsenoli's move was cynical and short-sighted.
"I have never been this angry in Parliament‚" Steenhuisen said. "It was clear from the start what the ANC's plan was. Although I had informed Speaker Baleka Mbete of the issues of the blue-light car and the securitisation of Parliament having to be put onto the agenda‚ she conveniently forgot to do so."
EFF 'not intimidated' by Parliament bouncers
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) had “free advice” for Baleki Mbete and a warning to Parliament ahead of President Jacob Zuma’s appearance in the National Assembly on Thursday.
The EFF’s Mbuyiseni Quintin Ndlozi said the “Speaker of Parliament…must come prepared to tell Zuma to answer the question as to when is he going to pay back the money unduly spent in Nkandla”.
And‚ the party warned‚ the use of might wouldn’t stop it from asking it.
“The EFF would like to reiterate that it will never be intimidated by all these efforts by the African National Congress-controlled parliament to use force and protect Zuma against a question‚” Ndlozi said.
The came as Parliament was reported to be bracing itself for the possibility of big trouble when Zuma takes questions from MPs.
On Wednesday night‚ for more than an hour and behind locked doors‚ individuals with newly issued parliamentary staff permits practised how to eject supposedly unruly elements from the National Assembly.
Earlier‚ the burly "bouncers"‚ believed to number 30‚ were seen being issued with parliamentary permits and word quickly spread that they would be used to kick out EFF members should they try to disrupt proceedings .
Sources confirmed the individuals were either former or current members of the SA Police Service.
Ndlozi went further and said the “new division is composed of members of the SAPS who were used earlier this year to assault members of EFF during the State of the Nation Address”.
“The EFF has learnt that members of the new division of the Parliamentary Protection Services specializing in bouncer functions is currently in a dress rehearsal on how they plan to assault members of the EFF during the questions session with Zuma tomorrow‚” he said.
“Nothing‚ including unjust rules of Parliament will stop us. The EFF has always said it will defy unjust laws and any rule designed to suppress opposition from holding the executive accountable which is unconstitutional and unjust and will be met with defiance from the EFF benches.”
The Times reported that a hint of what might happen was unwittingly given by Nkandla ad-hoc committee chairman Cedric Frolich on Wednesday.
"I don't care what happens in the House tomorrow afternoon. We will reconvene the meeting immediately after the presidential question-and-answer session‚" he said.
After corruption-related charges against him were struck off the roll by the Polokwane High Court on Tuesday‚ EFF leader Julius Malema said he would be facing Zuma in Parliament on Thursday.
Acting parliamentary spokesman Estelle Randall refused to say whether the spotted individuals would be in action on Thursday afternoon.
Parliament has constantly claimed that protection services issues are "operational" and therefore cannot be revealed. It has refused to provide information on the use of a car fitted with a police-type blue light by parliamentary secretary Gengezi Mgidlana.
These issues led to a big fallout at a closed meeting of the parliamentary oversight committee when acting chairman and deputy Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli adjourned proceedings as the two issues came up on the agenda.
DA chief whip John Steenhuisen warned the meeting this would have consequences on Thursday. He moved a motion saying the oversight committee was not effective and that Tsenoli's move was cynical and short-sighted.
"I have never been this angry in Parliament‚" Steenhuisen said. "It was clear from the start what the ANC's plan was. Although I had informed Speaker Baleka Mbete of the issues of the blue-light car and the securitisation of Parliament having to be put onto the agenda‚ she conveniently forgot to do so."