They were Zuma's bodyguards‚ EFF says

The Economic Freedom Fighters claim that security guards who allegedly "protected" party leader Julius Malema during a scuffle with “bouncers” in parliament on Tuesday were in fact President Jacob Zuma's bodyguards.

Party spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said on Friday: "The EFF welcomes the suggestion to have an investigation to the guards."

He said the party would like to see the outcome of an investigation as the party had on countless occasions complained about the president's security in the house.

• WATCH: DA’s video ‘proof’ of Malema’s ‘white shirt bodyguard’ in ParliamentThe Democratic Alliance has provided video footage highlighting their claim that two of the so called white shirts were in fact Julius Malema’s personal bodyguards posing as members of parliamentary protection services.  

In an earlier statement‚ on Thursday‚ the EFF said: "We know for a fact that Zuma’s bodyguard formed part of the entourage that came to remove EFF MPs on many occasions. In fact‚ the two men who came to specifically remove the CIC Julius Malema are not members of the Protection Service‚ but Zuma’s bodyguards."

Democratic Alliance chief whip John Steenhuisen said the party received reports that two of the so-called "white shirts" in the chamber were in fact Malema's "personal bodyguards" posing as members of parliament's protection services‚ reported The Times. And African National Congress chief whip Jackson Mthembu said the party had requested parliament to investigate what appeared to have been a breach of security.

Ndlozi said that some of Zuma's bodyguards had circled around him in the chamber during this week’s altercation.

"This is despite the fact that when in parliament‚ Zuma is bound by the same rules as the rest of other MPs. It means his bodyguards must not be functional in the house. He must be protected under the rules that protect other Members of Parliament."

Mthembu said on Thursday‚ "We can’t afford to risk the lives of our President and deputy president‚ our executive‚ and all members of Parliament‚ immaterial which parties they come from‚ by allowing people who are not supposed to be in Parliament…to get into the chambers of Parliament and therefore put all lives of MPs at risk.”