By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has submitted a motion of no confidence against the Speaker of Parliament, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, following last Thursday’s State of the Nation Address (SONA).
EFF MPs stormed the stage where Ramaphosa was sitting during SONA. The party had prevented the president from speaking for more than 30 minutes at the start of his speech, and was eventually ordered to leave.
As they made their way out of the chamber, chaos erupted, and EFF MPs were forcibly removed by heavily armed police and parliamentary protection services officers when they rushed onto the stage towards the president.
“The misconduct of the Speaker on 9 February 2023, has disqualified her as a legitimate Speaker of Parliament. The Speaker referred to members of this house as animals and violated the Constitution and the Rules of the National Assembly when she allowed armed police to invade Parliament.
“As a result, we have already submitted a motion of no confidence against Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula,” said Malema.
He made the announcement on Tuesday, at the Cape Town City Hall, during the debate on last week’s SONA.
Malema said the red berets had also withdrawn their demand for Mapisa-Nqakula to apologise within 48 hours for ejecting EFF MPs from the Sona, or they would take the matter to the Constitutional Court.
“We also apologise for having shown her respect when she evidently does not respect Parliament,” he said.
Malema said it was the responsibility of the Speaker to make sure that MPs exercised their oversight over the executive without any fear or intimidation.
“The police must never be allowed inside the chamber because that is where the executive is held accountable and those who are in power, if they do not have answers, may be tempted to use the security forces to intimidate those who are holding them accountable.”
On the EFF’s parliamentarians’ decision to storm the stage where Ramaphosa was sitting, Malema said he had known the president for a very long time and “under no circumstances will he ever be threatened by me or can he feel that his life is under threat”.
“There is no need for you to behave like you can protect him against the people who sit with him in the chamber and he does so without even having bodyguards and without being intimidated.
Parliament meanwhile has annonuced that the EFF’s fracas during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) has been referred to Parliament’s Joint Rules Committee.
The EFF’s conduct was captured in the announcements, tablings and committee reports (ATC) documents.
“The circumstances of the physical removal of members from the Chamber during the State-of-the-Nation address, which took place on 9 February 2023, together with the relevant parliamentary records, are referred to the Joint Rules Committee for consideration, in terms of Joint Rule 14GA,” Parliament said.
Parts of rule 14GA read:
- If a member refuses to leave the Chamber when ordered to do so by the presiding officer in terms of Joint Rule 14G, the presiding officer must instruct the Serjeant-at-Arms or the Usher to remove the member from the Chamber and the precincts of Parliament forthwith.
- If the Serjeant-at-Arms or the Usher is unable in person to effect the removal of the member, the presiding officer may call upon the Parliamentary Protection Services to assist in removing the member from the Chamber and the precincts of Parliament.
- If a member resists attempts to be removed from the Chamber, the Serjeant-at-Arms, the Usher and the Parliamentary Protection Services may use such force as may be reasonably necessary to overcome any resistance.
- No member may, in any manner whatsoever, physically intervene in, prevent, obstruct or hinder the removal of a member from the Chamber in terms of these Rules.
Parliament added that, as per Joint Rules of Parliament, the security services may intervene directly anywhere in the precincts in terms of section 4(2) of the Powers, Privileges and Immunities of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act (Act No 4 of 2004, “when there is immediate danger to the life or safety of any person or damage to any property”.