Francois Rodgers - Violence erupts after Zuma’s MKP fails in KZN power grab

In a day of violence and high drama, former President Jacob Zuma's MKP failed to gain control of KZN. In this interview with Chris Steyn, Democratic Alliance (DA) Provincial Leader Francois Rodgers describes the scene after a Motion of No Confidence against Premier Thami Ntuli was defeated. “I think the people of KwaZulu-Natal and the broader public at large can now see what to expect under an MKP government…It was purely to gain power, to gain access into the government with no...clear direction whatsoever….When we'd done the voting and the Speaker had then closed the sitting down, she was hit in the face by an MKP member of the Provincial Legislature. The Secretary of the Provincial Legislature was also pushed around.…It was shocking and quite frankly nauseating.” Earlier the Speaker had to suspend the sitting because MKP became disruptive after the Speaker ruled against a secret ballot. “…she covered all her bases, but MK, like a spoiled child, just wouldn't accept it.” As for Zuma’s presence in the chamber, Rodgers remarks: “Clearly, he must have been quite happy with the way his commanders behaved. Because if I was the leader of a party and I was in a legislature, and that's how my party members were behaving, I'd make sure they get a message to sit down and behave and take part in what should be a democratic process.”

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