'We will embarrass Mbete' - EFF says Speaker is attacking free speech

The EFF has condemned National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete for her decision to refer the party’s chief whip Floyd Shivambu to a disciplinary committee for remarks he made about President Jacob Zuma.

The EFF said Mbete’s decision was an attack on free speech.

It cited the Powers‚ Privileges and Immunities Act and Section 58 (1) (b) of the Constitution‚ which state that members of parliament cannot be punished for statements made in any of its bodies.

• EFF's Shivambu faces parliament disciplinary committee for saying 'Zuma will kill'EFF MP Floyd Shivambu looks set to become the first MP to face a disciplinary committee established under Parliament's new rules for his statements last year that President Jacob Zuma would arrest and kill ANC MPs.

Mbete’s office announced on Thursday that Shivambu would face disciplinary proceedings after Shivambu last year warned the president’s supporters that “Zuma will kill you.”

Read: EFF STATEMENT ON SPEAKERS' REFERRAL OF EFF DEPUTY PRESIDENT TO DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE

“As the EFF‚ we unequivocally reject the Speaker’s move as deliberate suppression of free speech in parliament. It is also an attempt to silence criticism of Zuma's cabinet reshuffle...” the EFF said in a statement released on Thursday night.

• UDM says Mbete 'unduly raising alarm' with no confidence sagaThe United Democratic Movement (UDM) has accused the Speaker of Parliament Baleka Mbete of “unduly raising public alarm” in her opposition to its court application to have a motion of no confidence in the president decided by way of a secret ballot.

“The Speaker‚ by referring the EFF DP [Shivambu] to the DC [disciplinary committee] for what he said during a debate violates the Powers‚ Privileges and Immunities Act and seeks to create fear on parliamentary debates on Zuma.”

The party said it would defend free speech in “the highest court in the land”‚ if necessary.

“We demonstrated this when we won the court case regarding CIC Julius Malema's remarks that ‘the ANC government killed workers in Marikana.’ We will also embarrass Mbete and her partisan rulings in relation to our Deputy President’s recent remarks.”