EFF taunt ANC 'scourge', 'dictator wannabe' Zuma, Nkandla 'blight' before suspension debate

27 November 2014 - 18:30 By Sapa
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EFF supporters. File photo.
EFF supporters. File photo.
Image: Gallo Images / The Times / Moeletsi Mabe

Ahead of their almost certain suspension from Parliament, the Economic Freedom Fighters on Thursday tabled motions and made statements taunting the ANC over Nkandla, Marikana, and the chaos in the legislature a fortnight ago.

EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi rose to say the ruling party was a scourge and President Jacob Zuma showed a clear desire to be a dictator.

He was responding to Zuma's remarks at the policy conference of the ANC Youth League that if "everything goes wrong with the ANC, everything will go wrong with the country".

Said Ndlozi: "South Africa will indeed be safe when the ANC goes down because it is a party that protects capital interests with the willingness to massacre poor workers like they did at Marikana.

"South Africa is actually going down because of the ANC."

He was defiantly repeating the sentiments EFF leader Julius Malema expressed on Marikana in the National Assembly earlier this year. It saw Malema ordered to leave the chamber, and judgment has now been reserved in a high court challenge to that ruling by presiding officer Thandi Modise.

Ndlozi's colleague Andile Mngxitama drew laughs, including from Speaker Baleka Mbete, with a motion noting the upheaval in the Nigerian Parliament and stressing that it was caused by "the Speaker defecting to the opposition benches".

He added that police should not be called into Parliament to deal with the difficulties that arose between political parties -- a reference to riot police being called into the National Assembly on November 13 to remove an EFF MP.

EFF MP Veronica Nqweniso termed the R246 million security upgrades at Zuma's Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal a "blight in our democracy".

At least 12 EFF MPs face suspension from the legislature for up to 30 days when the National Assembly debates a report finding them guilty on a range of charges stemming from their heckling of Zuma over Nkandla on August 21.

They were seen entering the chamber on Thursday carrying copies of Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's report on Nkandla, which called on Zuma to repay a portion of the state funds spent on improving his home.

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