We'll go wild, says EFF

27 July 2015 - 09:04 By BDLive

Bringing "bouncers" into the National Assembly to manhandle MPs of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) will make them "more wild", the party's leader, Julius Malema, said on Saturday. Speaking at the second anniversary celebrations of the EFF in Rustenburg in the North West, Malema told about 20,000 EFF members and supporters that the ANC must improve its arguments in parliament instead of relying on force."We do not need bouncers, we need thinkers. The ANC must beat us through ideas," said Malema, adding the ANC "must present a superior logic in every debate".Insiders in the EFF say the party intended to appeal any "unconstitutional" changes to the parliamentary rules in court. This means that the application of new rules could depend on the time it takes to conclude court processes.Parliament's rules committee meeting tomorrow is likely to be dominated by the discussion on whether or not the proposed measures to tighten the rules of conduct limit the rights of MPs to hold the executive accountable.Last month, President Jacob Zuma's question and answer session in the National Assembly was scrapped due to the EFF's "pay back the money" protest. Zuma is expected to be in parliament next week for an oral reply session.On Thursday, parliamentary Speaker Baleka Mbete told the media that the tightening of the rules was intended to enable members to exercise their rights without being disrupted by others. Mbete said parliament sought to improve "the protection of members when discharging their duties in parliament".Malema said on Saturday "no one can restrict freedom of speech in parliament, not even a bouncer. You bring bouncers then you make us more wild because we are not scared of an assault. We are not scared of them," he said. ..

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