Comrades and cockroaches in SONA debate

The parliamentary debate of the state-of-the-nation address kicked off on Tuesday with the opposition EFF complaining about their leader being called a "cockroach".

Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema asked National Council of Provinces chairwoman Thandi Modise to raise his party's concerns with National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete.

This after she called him a cockroach at the weekend.

The matter was first raised by EFF chief whip Floyd Shivambu, after which Malema also jumped up to raise a point.

Modise asked him if he was insisting on speaking, prompting him to want to know why only he had to "insist" to get a chance to talk, causing a murmur in the National Assembly.

Modise asked members to be quiet, but called them "comrades" instead, before quickly correcting herself, saying "honourable members".

Malema quipped: "That's what we are dealing with here; comradeship".

Modise asked him to withdraw.

"I did say honourable members, in South Africa we are all comrades," she said, adding that he was her comrade not too long ago.

Malema then continued to talk about his concerns that Mbete called him a cockroach.

"Please take our concerns and raise them with her [Mbete]," said Malema.

Modise replied: "Do not make me preside and rule over a presiding officer. I said I would convey what the feelings of this House are around the utterances..."

"I think we must leave it at that. I will convey the message and the sentiments of the House."

The Mail&Guardian online quoted Mbete saying on Saturday: "If we don't work we will continue to have cockroaches like Malema roaming all over the place."

This isn't the first time somebody in the ANC has accused an opposition leader of being a "cockroach".

In 2010 Julius Malema told voters in the Western Cape "You have put a cockroach in Cabinet and we need to remove that cockroach by voting the ANC into power," referring to DA leader Helen Zille.