Eight Parliamentary Protection Services (PPS) officers injured while manhandling members of Parliament out of the chamber during Thursday’s chaotic State of the Nation Address‚ are receiving medical and counselling services‚ Parliament said on Friday.

“The officials were beaten with plastics hats‚ bricks and punched‚” the statement said‚ adding that Speaker Baleka Mbete of the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces Chairperson Thandi Modise had directed the Secretary to Parliament to conduct an investigation.

It said Secretary to Parliament Gengezi Mgidlana had established an inter-divisional committee “to investigate various allegations” surrounding Thursday’s fracas.

Punch-up's in parliaments around the worldFor the third year in a row South African MPs have secured a prominent mention on a blog that monitors the top parliamentary brawls on the planet. 

Mgidlana is expected to table a report early next week to Mbete and Modise for a decision on the course of action Parliament will take.

“The allegations of brutality levelled at PPS officials are unfair‚ unfounded and baseless‚” the statement said‚ providing as evidence a link to video footage aired on national TV ( http://tinyurl.com/jrplvj9).

It said the footage‚ “clearly indicates that these officials were brutally assaulted when they were merely doing their work of removing some Members of Parliament (MPs) as instructed by the Presiding Officers“.

It denied that the PPS officers had any weaponry such as cable ties‚ injections or any other equipment.

— TMG Digital