Image: ALON SKUY/THE TIMES
President Jacob Zuma is almost guaranteed to get a hostile reception when he faces questions about his family in parliament on Thursday.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) berets have promised to return to the National Assembly‚ which they have recently boycotted when Zuma speaks‚ to put the president “in his place”.
EFF leader Julius Malema said earlier this week that the party had reversed its decision not to be in parliament when Zuma answered questions.
“We realise that when we are not inside the House‚ he behaves like he owns that territory‚ so we must go back there and then put him (in) his place‚” he said at a press conference.
EFF spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said on Thursday that Zuma believed he had weathered a crisis of legitimacy after surviving a motion of no confidence against him.
“A motion of no confidence has not revealed why Zuma broke his oath of office‚ and thus violated the constitution. In our eyes‚ no one can be declared a constitutional delinquent by the highest court in the land and they remain in public office‚” he said.
WATCH | Malema says Zuma thinks Parliament is his territory when EFF is absent
“We shall therefore attend to ensure that we render abnormal the normalisation of constitutional delinquency.”
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) will ask Zuma what progress government has made in the fight against gender-based violence.
Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini’s comments that government leaders were guilty of more serious crimes against women than former Deputy Minister Mduduzi Manana‚ will also come under scrutiny.
The IFP wants to know if Zuma has “taken any steps to obtain information from the Minister of Social Development so that appropriate action may be taken to root out gender-based violence and abuse by leaders in Government?”
Zuma will answer questions about the awarding of state contracts‚ development initiatives started in Africa‚ Operation Phakisa and government progress in combatting gender-based violence.
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane will ask if he “instructed or influenced any state department or entity” to award contracts to his immediate or extended family.
A series of damning leaked e-mails‚ purporting to show evidence of widespread state capture‚ has revealed the close and lucrative business relationship enjoyed by Zuma’s son Duduzane and the Gupta family.