Parliament's new protection officers a visible presence during Zuma session with MPs

Parliament degenerated into a shouting match for more than ten minutes yesterday as presidential question time was again held up by the Economic Freedom Fighters. whose microphones were on occasion switched off by National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete.

Members of the EFF and the Freedom Front Plus were shoving each other and strong Afrikaans language was used on a day of high drama at the heart of South African democracy‚ which nevertheless ended with the threat of violence not realised.

President Jacob Zuma proceded to answer questions on the new Brics Bank and the independence of the judiciary‚ the decision to let President Omar al Bashir of Sudan leave South Africa in June in violation of a high court order‚ among others.

Tempers started flaring early in the day at the meeting of the programming committee‚ when DA chief whip John Steenhuisen asked National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete whether former police force members had been recruited into the parliamentary protection services.

Mbete admitted that police staff had been drafted into the parliamentary staff component‚ finally coming clean after weeks of obfuscation‚ secrecy and misinformation by parliamentary officials.

She confirmed that the individuals had resigned from the police force‚ were legally binterviewed and appointed as parliamentary staff and had therefore not merely been seconded.

“The candidates who met the requirements were offered employment and those who accepted have since resigned from the Police Service. All members of the Parliamentary Protection Services are Parliamentary employees‚” she said in a letter sent to the chief whips of political parties after the start of the meeting.

Steenhuisen’s questions raised the ire of EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi‚ who pointed out that the DA had supported the new rules in terms of which the recruitment of police officers had been done.

The strong disagreement between the DA and the EFF accentuated the way in which the EFF has isolated itself from the rest of the opposition over the past six weeks.

It has been opposing all other political parties on all issues‚ especially over the last two weeks‚ even sabotaging motions wishing emiritus archbishop Desmond Tutu a speedy recovery‚ congratulating South African sports stars and expressing condolences on the death of accomplished Christian poet TT Cloete.

The EFF’s actions have alienated it from the parties which believe it is merely set on spoiling parliament.

A much more visible presence of police and parliamentary protection services was apparent in the parliamentary precinct today.

The newly recruited police officers could be seen sitting on chairs outside the NA chamber dressed in black pants and white shirts.

The EFF’s MPs were locked in a caucus meeting on the fourth floor of Parliament’s Marks building until barely ten minutes before the parliamentary session started. They then entered the National Assembly as a red phalanx.

A handful of ANC supporters in yellow T-shirts could also been seen in the parliamentary precinct before the sitting.

The only item on the National Assembly’s order paper were questions to the president.

But before Zuma could start his response EFF MPs Hlengiwe Maxon and Godrich Gardee asked clarity about the sequence of the questions. They argued for the prioritisation of the EFF’s questions on Zuma paying back the money spent on upgrades at his Nkandla residence‚ but were overruled.

Ndlozi claimed the other opposition parties had all colluded with the ANC‚ causing the ACDP and DA to react angrily

ACDP MP Steve Swart reminded the EFF that‚ two months ago‚ the ACDP was denied the opportunity to question Zuma because of disruption by the EFF. Steenhuisen said the EFF was merely trying to obstruct parliament with theatrics.

After Mbete had given the assurance that the EFF’s question would be answered‚ EFF chief whip Floyd Shivambu relented and the question session went ahead.