Cope, DA storm out of assembly

The Congress of the People and Democratic Alliance stormed out of the National Assembly after Deputy Speaker Nomaindia Mfeketo ordered an opposition MP to withdraw a comment about the government leading the country into lawlessness.

Mfeketo ruled that Cope MP Mluleki George had to withdraw the comment she said he made during debate on President Jacob Zuma's state-of-the-nation address on Monday, that "the President had deliberately led this country into lawlessness".

"What do you want me to withdraw, Madam Speaker?" George asked.

"I want you to withdraw what you said," Mfeketo replied. "I read it... unless you were not listening."

"I was listening," George said. "I am saying, what do you want me to withdraw?"

"What you said: The president deliberately led this country to lawlessness," Mfeketo responded.

"I did not say that," George said. "You read your interpretation wrong. Read your document again."

"Honourable George, you don't want to withdraw? Will you please leave the House," she said.

"I made a statement which is political and I stand by it. You just decide you are going to bully me," George said as jeers and boos erupted around the house.

Mfeketo then refused further points of order on the issue from the DA and Cope.

"Deputy Speaker, I have risen on a point of order," DA chief whip Ian Davidson insisted.

"I will not take a point of order on this matter," Mfeketo replied.

"This is a matter of absolute cardinal principles of the House. It interferes with the right to freedom of speech in the House. It is not a correct reading of the rule before you, and I must take a point of order in order to motivate exactly why I believe you are wrong.

"What you are doing is narrowing significantly the whole point of freedom of speech in this House. And it's absolutely unacceptable and I think it must be debated further," Davidson said.

"I am not taking any point of order," Mfeketo interrupted. "There is not going to be any debate."

When she refused to take another point of order from Cope's Mbhazima Shilowa, he informed the House his party was leaving "until as and when you want Mr Mluleki back, thank you".

"Fine," was Mfeketo's response. "Fine".

The DA and Cope then left the House in protest.

NC chief whip Mathole Motshekga, on another point of order, this time allowed by Mfeketo, said her ruling was "fully acceptable to ourselves", and it was "disturbing that members of Cope and the DA refuse to accept a ruling and walk out of this Parliament" in "violation of the rules of this House".

"They are trying to make Parliament unworkable," he said.

Freedom Front Plus chief whip Corne Mulder urged Mfeketo to make "120 percent" sure that "the statement was made in terms of a direct reflection on the person of the president or on the person of a specific member".

"Because if that is not the case, if it's a general reflection on the policy by a party... then I would ask that you reconsider in terms of the provision of the Constitution that allows freedom of speech. That's all I'm asking. Thank you," Mulder said.

The African Christian Democratic Party and Inkatha Freedom Party both said they disagreed with the ruling, but would not leave the House.

Mfeketo said even if her "considered" ruling was incorrect, it was George's responsibility to take that to Parliament's rules committee.

"I cannot have a situation when I am chairing a meeting and make a ruling and have a member of this House stand there and say he or she cannot withdraw. That's something that can never happen.

"I take your point, and if there's a need to relook at this, the rules committee must look at it and they must tell me if it was wrong or correct," she said.