Parliament’s investigation into EFF failures during Gordhan’s budget speech to resume next year



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EFF members interrupt the state of the nation address on February 13, 2020 in Cape Town.

EFF members interrupt the state of the nation address on February 13, 2020 in Cape Town.

PHOTO: Jefferey Abrahams / Gallo Images

  • An investigation into the EFF’s disruption in Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan’s budget speech will resume next year.
  • In July 2019, 20 EFF MPs took the podium as Gordhan delivered his budget speech.
  • Parliament’s Committee on Powers and Privileges had to postpone its meeting after some members left the virtual meeting, leaving the committee without a quorum.

Parliament’s investigation into the conduct of EFF members who indicted Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan during his budget speech last year has found another drawback.

On Friday, the Legislature’s Committee on Powers and Privileges received final arguments and deliberations from the defender initiating the investigation, Ncumisa Mayosi.

However, MPs were unable to fully deliberate on the matter or agree on a way forward, as two ANC members had to leave the virtual meeting due to prior commitments, leaving the committee without a quorum of at least six members. .

ANC MPs Dipuo Peters and Violet Siwela had to leave the meeting, while the deputy head of the party’s National Assembly, Dorries Dlakude, who is also a member of the committee, also had a prior engagement.

READ | Parliament Ignites Pressure On EFF Members Who Interrupted Gordhan’s Budget Speech

Committee chair Philly Mapulane said there was no option but to postpone the meeting until the earliest available date next year.

“There has to be a certain number of members present when we decide on the presentations that have been made. I am concerned that we do not have the necessary quorum to decide whether the members, we are finding them guilty of violating the rules and disregarding Parliament. we don’t, “he said.

Also he said:

It is a bit unfortunate that we do not have a quorum for this meeting. I thought the members would have prioritized this meeting, since the matter brought up here has[s] been sitting with the committee for quite some time. We are talking about [a] Issue that happened in 2019, we are now in 2020 and approaching the end of the year and we have not resolved the matter.

In July last year, 20 EFF deputies took the podium as Gordhan delivered his budget speech. This prevented the minister from delivering his speech until they were removed from the House for parliamentary security.

Mayosi said the evidence the committee had seen proved all the charges against the affected MPs.

Members of the EFF are subject to the rules of Parliament and the Powers, Privileges and Immunities Act of Parliament and Provincial Legislators.

“The evidence before the committee has not been refuted. I contend that an appropriate case has been made to find that each affected member violated the provisions of Section 7A, 7B and 7E of the Act and, consequently, each affected member is guilty. Parliament in terms 13A and 13C of the law, “he said.

READ ALSO | EFF MPs accused of attacking Pravin Gordhan were absent on the first day of the disciplinary hearing

Mayosi said the National Assembly can impose a sanction on affected members.

EFF MP Mbuyiseni Nldozi said: “We should receive this presentation in writing, as it will facilitate our deliberations.”

Meanwhile, the committee adopted its report on EFF members accused of disturbing the State of the Nation (SONA) speech by the presence of former President FW De Klerk, and are out of the woods for the time being.

In its report, the committee found that SONA’s referral of the incident did not have a reasonable prospect of success and therefore should not continue.

“With regard to the presidents’ decision that ordered EFF deputy Nokulunga Primrose Sonti to leave the Chamber, the committee recommends that since the order for Ms Sonti to leave the Chamber was not carried out after the objection to the way it was done, it could reasonably be inferred that she was probably acquitted of having to comply with the instruction. “

Mapulane said:

The committee also recommends that the water bottle launcher (s) cannot be identified in the video images due to the camera angle and therefore it is not possible to take that matter further.

He said that in view of the insufficiency of the joint rules to deal with the challenges experienced during SONA, “a process should be undertaken to update the joint rules as a matter of urgency.”

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