EFF members were unceremoniously removed from the Eastern Cape  provincial legislature ahead of premier Oscar Mabuyane's state of the province address after complaints that they were inappropriately dressed in their trademark red overalls.

After a heated exchange, the members ignored speaker Helen Sauls-August's instruction to leave the house and a scuffle began as security tried to forcefully remove them from the house, DispatchLIVE reported.

DA provincial leader Nqaba Bhanga took exception, saying that the Eastern Cape should avoid repeating the chaos at the North West state of the province address; where EFF MPLs were assaulted after interrupting premier Job Mokgoro during his address.

Sauls-August then demanded that Bhanga himself also leave, which he refused to do.

Security staff then forcibly removed the EFF members while Bhanga remained. Sauls-August said she would refer Bhanga to the ethics committee for his refusal  to leave the house.