State-of-the-Nation address: Right out of Madam & Eve

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Well, the EFF weren’t lying when they threatened to disrupt the State-of-the-Nation address this evening. Coupled with fistfights, potential weapons and a mass exodus of the DA. All before Zuma began speaking. However, once the official address began, highlights included; Eskom being given R23bn to ‘stabilize’ themselves, job growth by 203 000, and over 36 000 land claims lodged nationally.

Here’s a blow-by-blow account of this evenings’ dramatics. Before the speech was two sentences in. We’ll be updating as it happens. – CH   From the South African Press Association President Jacob Zuma’s eighth state-of-the-nation address was interrupted by EFF MP Godrich Gardee. Zuma started his speech commemorating the adoption of the Freedom Charter. “The year 2015 marks 60 years of a historic moment in our history when South Africans from all walks of life adopted the freedom charter,” Zuma said. He was shortly after that interrupted by Gardee calling for a point of order. EFF demand answers from Zuma President Jacob Zuma should answer questions on when he will pay back the money for his private residence in Nkandla before he delivers his eighth state-of-the-nation address, EFF MP Godrich Gardee said on Thursday. “May we ask the president when he is going to pay the money in terms of what the public protector has said,” Gardee said. “He [Zuma] has not been answering that question and we hope today he will answer that question.”

Zuma started his speech commemorating the adoption of the Freedom Charter. He was shortly after that interrupted by Gardee calling for a point of order.

“If the president would not mind taking a seat,” Gardee said.

He said he was calling on Zuma to answer the question on a question of privilege. National Assembly Speaker Baleke Mbete said that the reason they were in parliament was for the state-of-the-nation and said it was not a question session.

Gardee said Zuma should answer when and how he was going to pay back the money. 

Mbete defends Zuma

Speaker Baleka Mbete told EFF MPs Godrich Gardee that President Jacob Zuma would answer questions next week.

“Members will have an opportunity to debate and respond to the address by the president and the sitting scheduled for next week… This is not a question session,” she said after MPs demanded that Zuma pay back the money for security upgrades on his Nkandla residence.

“This is not the occasion for questions or points… This is a specifically called sitting for the president to deliver his state of the nation address.”

“I insist and appeal to members to allow this house to proceed with the business of the day.”

Malema wants Zuma to answer

EFF leader Julius Malema insisted on Thursday that President Jacob Zuma answer questions regarding upgrades to his private Nkandla home.

“You not doing me any favours… it is within my right to speak as a member of this House and let me remind you that it is incorrect of you that when the president speaks you suspend the rules,” he told Speaker Baleka Mbete.

“We want the president to answer a simple question, when is he paying the money as instructed by the public protector?”

EFF ordered to leave Parliament

National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mebete ordered that a number of EFF MPs leave the House after they interrupted President Jacob Zuma’s state-of-the-nation address on Thursday.

Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema, chief whip Floyd Shivambu and MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi refused to leave.

Other EFF MPs protested on their behalf.

“Sizo lala la [we going to sleep here],” one of them shouted.

Mbete ordered that security be brought into the House to remove the MPs.

“The security forces must come in…,” she said.

Malema and Shivambu thrown out

Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema and deputy president Floyd Shivambu were removed from Parliament on Thursday during President Jacob Zuma’s eighth state-of-the-nation address.

“I ask the Parliamentary service officers to please come in and take out the honorary members,” National Speaker Baleka Mbete said. “I also ask the security officers to assist.”

EFF national spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi was also asked to leave the house.

At around 7.42pm, Malema, hat in hand, left Parliament.

But wait.. Malema and Mbete clash

Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema on Thursday asked Speaker Baleka Mbete to show him which rule prevented him from asking questions during the president’s state of the nation address.

“Point us the rule that gives you power to deny us this,” he said. “I’m not working for you, I’m not going to leave.”

Mbete told Malema that she would not allow any other points of order to be raised. Mbete then told EFF Floyd Shivambu to leave the chamber after he also tried to ask a question.

“I now have to ask that you leave the chamber, because it is clear that you are not prepared to cooperate with us,” she said. EFF national spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi told Mbete she was not a bishop. “I’m appealing to your conscience honourable speaker,” he added.

 

Mbete then called on protection services to remove EFF MPs from the room.

DA condemns possible use of police

DA Parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane demanded to know if the police were used to remove EFF MPs from the National Assembly on Thursday.

“To remove the members of the EFF… if by police… I request we cannot allow police to enter this chamber,” he said. “We want to be here to get the state-of-the-nation address but we cannot violate the Constitution of this country.”

Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema and some of his MPs were escorted out the House by security after they had interrupted President Jacob Zuma’s speech.

National Council of Provinces chairwoman Thandi Modise explained the presiding officers had a right to call in security. “We have indeed repeatedly called on members during a joint sitting to heed the call to take a seat,” she said.

She said all avenues were exhausted before security was called.

“We are also empowered… to ask for security whichever security to act… I think we should allow this house to do its business,” Modise said.

And then, the fistfights

Fist fights broke out as Economic Freedom Fighters MPs were dragged out the National Assembly during the state-of-the-nation address on Thursday evening.

The MPs tried to stand their ground after Speaker Baleka Mbete ordered them to leave, but officers dragged them out. EFF MP Floyd Shivambu confronted a few officers and another fight broke out.

Some of the protection officers’ shirts were ripped off and they stood bare-chested as a result of the disruption. Security officers blocked journalists from going near the EFF MPs. Police and protection officers were apparently taking the rowdy EFF MPs to a location on the precinct.

EFF leader Julius Malema and some of his MPs had interrupted President Jacob Zuma’s speech. National Council of Provinces chairwoman Thandi Modise explained the presiding officers had a right to call in security.

“We have indeed repeatedly called members during a joint sitting to heed the call to take a seat,” she said.

She said all avenues were exhausted before security was called in. “We are also empowered… to ask for security whichever security to act… I think we should allow this House to do its business,” Modise said.

Pandor: But SONA disruption is against the constitution

The disruption of Parliament on Thursday during President Jacob Zuma’s eighth state-of-the-nation address is a direct violation of the Constitution, African National Congress MP Naledi Pandor said.

“The disruption we saw was a direct violation of the Constitution,” she said.

Speaking to other MP’s she said: “I thought you knew the rules very well and I suggest you read rule seven of the joint rules.”

Parliamentary disruption is disgusting: Buthelezi

Founder of the Inkatha Freedom Party Mangosuthu Buthelezi said that the disruptions in Parliament on Thursday were “disgusting” and “utter nonsense”.

“I think what we have seen today is disgusting. I think our country is really torn to pieces and I think the struggle didn’t take place for people to play the fool,” he said after President Jacob Zuma’s state-of-the-nation-address was interrupted by Economic Freedom Fighters MPs.

“[This is] not what the majority of people in this house want to see. If the Constitution allows us to vote, why can’t we put this to vote?”

And then, the DA abandoned ship

The DA left the National Assembly at the opening of parliament on Thursday after presiding officers failed to explain whether police were used to remove EFF MPs.

DA Parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane threatened to leave if the question of whether police were used to remove EFF MPs was not answered.

National Council of Provinces chairwoman Thandi Modise said he was welcome to leave but he was not being told to. “We did not tell you to leave this chamber, if you want to take that decision take it on your own.”

She explained that the parliamentary protection services were called and the security forces working with them. “Yes it isn’t conventional, but it’s not conventional for the joint house to be turned into a question session,” Modise said.

“Can we proceed please?”

She said she could not pick out who were police officers and who were not in the group who removed the MPs.

All DA members stood up and left the House.

Back to Business – The speech begins  Zuma started where he had left off when he was interrupted earlier by the Economic Freedom Fighters. “Let me start where I was interrupted from,” he said chuckling. The country is celebrating 25 years since former president Nelson Mandela was released from prison and the unbanning of liberation movements, President Jacob Zuma said during his state-of-the-nation address on Thursday. “The release of Madiba marked a giant leap in the long walk to freedom for the people of South Africa as a whole and dealt a fatal blow to apartheid colonialism,” he told a joint sitting of the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces. “We continue to be inspired by Madiba and draw lessons from his legacy as we build our country.”    Meanwhile, vengeful threats of firearm warfare Economic Freedom Fighters MP Floyd Shivambu warns the EFF will be armed the next time parliamentary protection officers confront them.   “They obviously manhandled all of us. Next time, we will be armed,” he said as he walked to the steps of the National Assembly in the rain. He joined a group of EFF MPs and supporters dancing and chanting “pay back the money.” EFF leader Julius Malema and some of his MPs had earlier interrupted President Jacob Zuma’s state-of-the-nation address to Parliament. After being repeatedly asked to leave the House, they were eventually removed by security officers. Malema told journalists: “We have got it on good authority that those were the presidential protection unit. We are not going anywhere. We are part of their Parliament.” He accused government of responding to political issues not with “political answers but security apparatus.” National Council of Provinces chairwoman Thandi Modise explained the presiding officers had a right to call in security. Fist fights broke out between EFF MPs and parliamentary officers, both in the Chamber and outside in the corridor. The EFF’s hard hats flew across the benches as the MPs were removed. “They started with [Godrich Gardee]. They hit him first,” said EFF Western Cape chairman Bernard Joseph. EFF MP Emmanuel Mtileni said officers manhandled him. “They grabbed me, they even moered [hit] me,” he said, pointing to his cheekbone. Officers dragged the MPs towards the Old Assembly and linked hands to bar journalists from going down the stairs. Mtileni remonstrated with riot police, saying “How can you do that to us? Zuma stole your money too. How can you hit us?”   EFF spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said he was grabbed by the throat.”I don’t know whether they choked me but they cut my voice for a while,” he said.   According to Ndlozi, some of his colleagues were injured.   But back to the important issue at hand – Eskom Stabilising Eskom’s finances is a priority and the power utility will be given R23 billion to do so, President Jacob Zuma announced on Thursday.   “The government will honour its commitment to give it around R23 billion in the next fiscal year,” he said in his state-of-the-nation address to Parliament. He acknowledged South Africa was experiencing serious energy constraints. “[These] are an impediment to economic growth, and are a major inconvenience to everyone in the country.” Overcoming the problem was uppermost in government’s priorities. “We are doing everything we can to resolve the energy challenge.” Cabinet was working “round the clock” with Eskom to stabilise the electricity supply system and contain load shedding.   No land for foreigners   Foreigners will not be allowed to own land in South Africa, President Jacob Zuma said during his state-of-the-nation address to Parliament on Thursday. He said they would instead be eligible for long-term leases.   “In this regard, the Regulation of Land Holdings Bill will be submitted to Parliament this year,” he said to applause in the National Assembly. Land had become a critical factor in achieving redress for the wrongs of the past.   The second window for lodging land claims was reopened last year.   Zuma said more then 36,000 land claims had been lodged nationally. The cut-off date was 2019.   “We are also exploring the fifty/fifty policy framework, which proposes relative rights for people who live and work on farms. “Fifty farming enterprises will be identified as a pilot project.”  In terms of new proposed laws, a ceiling of land ownership would be set at a maximum of 12,000 hectares. Through the land reform programme, more than 90,000 hectares had been allocated to smallholder farmers, farm dwellers and labour tenants.   “The process of establishing the office of the valuer-general is underway, which is established in terms of the Property Valuation Act,” Zuma said. “Once implemented the law will stop the reliance on the willing-buyer, willing-seller method in respect of land acquisition by the state.”       South African economy need a big push South Africa’s economy needs a major push forward, President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday. The country’s aim of achieving a growth target of five percent in 2019 was at risk, he warned in his state-of-the-nation address, delivered before a joint sitting of Parliament’s two chambers. Zuma noted that the International Monetary Fund had this week revised down its global economic growth forecast to 3.5 percent for 2015.  “Our ambition of achieving a growth target of five percent by 2019 is at risk because of the slow global growth, as well as domestic constraints in energy, skills, transport and logistics amongst others.” However, the situation was more promising on the jobs front.   

“Two days ago, StatsSA released the employment figures for the last quarter of 2014. [They show] that there are now 15.3 million people who are employed in South Africa. Jobs grew by 203,000.”   On his target of six million job opportunities over five years, announced last year, he said so far 850,000 “work opportunities” had been created. Zuma said government had a nine-point plan to “ignite growth and create jobs”. This included, among other things, resolving the country’s energy challenge, revitalising agriculture, advancing the beneficiation of minerals and encouraging private sector investment “Our economy needs a major push forward,” he said. Off-camera: EFF members were beaten with shoes At least one Economic Freedom Fighters MP was taken to hospital after being injured during clashes with security officers inside and outside the National Assembly, EFF leader Julius Malema said on Thursday night. Addressing journalists on the steps of the National Assembly while President Jacob Zuma delivered his state-of-the-nation address in the House, Malema claimed at least seven MPs were injured during the running scuffles. “Reneilwe Mashabela was held by not less than seven men. One of them was beating her on the face with a shoe,” Malema claimed. The battered and bruised MPs would be consulting lawyers before opening criminal cases with police, he said. “Whether they beat us or not, we’ll continue to ask relevant questions,” a defiant Malema said. “We have seen that we are part of a police state where when people are unable to give political answers, political solutions to political problems, they resort to security apparatus and we’ve always said the ANC has sent South African into a security state, so today it was confirmed.” Malema himself showed signs of being dragged out of the chamber forcefully. A white T-shirt — worn under his red overalls — was torn.

Malema and his fellow MPs tried to stand their ground and fought back after security officers — dressed in black pants and white dress shirts — physically removed them from the Chamber.

The officers entered the Chamber after Speaker Baleka Mbete said: “I am asking the Parliament’s protection officers to come in and take out the honourable members…”

Fist fights broke out between party members and the security officers both in the Chamber and outside in the corridor.

The EFF’s hard hats flew across the benches as the members were removed.

“They started with [Godrich Gardee]. They hit him first,” said EFF Western Cape chairman Bernard Joseph.

EFF MP Emmanuel Mtileni said officers manhandled him.

“They grabbed me, they even moered [hit] me,” he said, pointing to his cheekbone.

Officers dragged the MPs towards the Old Assembly and linked hands to bar journalists from going down the stairs.

Mtileni remonstrated with riot police, saying “How can you do that to us? Zuma stole your money too. How can you hit us?” EFF spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said he was grabbed by the throat.

“I don’t know whether they choked me but they cut my voice for a while,” he said.

Afriforum comments: What a joke.

This evening Afriforum described the disruptions in parliament to President Jacob Zuma’s state of the nation address as a circus.

“Parliament has degenerated into a circus with a few hundred clowns each earning a salary of a million rand of taxpayers’ money per annum, contributing nothing to the improvement of the lives of ordinary people,” said CEO Kallie Kriel in a statement.

“Under the lack of leadership of Jacob Zuma and Julius Malema, South Africa has become the laughing stock of the international community,” he said.

Chaos erupted in parliament after Economic Freedom Fighter MPs demanded to know when Zuma would pay back the money used for security upgrades on his Nkandla residence.

Speaker Baleka Mbete eventually resorted to asking security officers to escort the MPs out of the chamber.

And the DA were not too impressed, either.

The ANC and the EFF turned Parliament into a national embarrassment on Thursday, the DA said.

“At a time when South Africa is in crisis, the constitutional role of Parliament has been severely undermined today, and the real issues that matter to South Africans have been forgotten,” DA Parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane said in a statement.

“While Parliament has been turned into a circus this evening, tomorrow the nation’s electricity crisis remains, unemployment remains, and crime continues to plague our communities.”

The DA walked out of the National Assembly before President Jacob Zuma could carry on with his state-of-the-nation address following disruptions by the EFF.

The official opposition wanted presiding officers to confirm whether police were used to remove the Economic Freedom Fighters from the House but its questions were not answered.

“By calling armed South African Police Service officers into the chamber to remove MP’s, the Speaker [Baleka Mbete] has violated the constitutional principle of separation of powers,” Maimane said.

“There is an important difference between the police and parliamentary security — one reports to the executive and the other to parliament.”

He said Parliament’s work could not be suppressed by security forces and police were not allowed to interfere with the work of political parties.

Mbete tried to get EFF members to sit down but they insisted that Zuma answer their questions about security upgrades to his private home in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal.

Maimane said the EFF was wrong not to abide by Mbete’s ruling however armed police should not have been called.

“The parliamentary security should have removed them.

“But calling in armed police was a violation of the constitution that the DA cannot tolerate,” he said.

Thursday’s sitting was “nothing short of a disaster, and an insult to South Africans”

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