EFF STATEMENT ON THE ILLEGAL PHYSICAL REMOVAL OF THE CIC JULIUS MALEMA

The Economic Freedom Fighters strongly condemns the illegal physical removal of CIC Julius Malema from the chambers of the National Assembly yesterday by irregularly appointed parliamentary bouncers on unlawful orders of the chairperson Mmatlala Boroto. The CIC Malema was asked to withdraw his remarks that Cyril Ramaphosa is a murderer and has premeditate the murder of the workers of Marikana. The Commander-in-Chief correctly refused to withdraw the truth about what was confirmed during the Farlam Commission of inquiry into the Marikana Massacre, where it was again revealed that Ramaphosa called for concomitant action against mineworkers he had called ‘criminals’.

The presiding officer in exercising enforcement of an unlawful and unconstitutional rules, rushed to call to for physical assault of a member of parliament and arbitrary suspension of the Commander-in-Chief Malema for five days without being accorded due process. The EFF condemns the criminal conduct of the presiding officer who without forethought hastily called for an enforcement a rule that authorises physical removal of a member of parliament. Rule 53A, which is illegal, only grants the presiding the officer the power to call for physical removal of a member who causes a disruption in the House or poses physical threat to other members of parliament. At no time during the refusal by the CIC Malema to withdraw his remarks about Ramaphosa was he causing any disruption to the proceedings of the House. The ridiculousness of the ruling by Boroto is demonstrated by her decision to immediately adjourn the sitting of the House immediately after CIC Malema was physically removed from the House. The incident giving rise to the illegal ruling by Boroto occurred at the end of the sitting of the House, therefore, there could not have been any proceedings to be disrupted or disturbed.

The EFF has already lodged a court application to declare the rule amendments authorising physical assault of members of parliament and their arbitrary suspension as unlawful and unconstitutional. The EFF is further lodging an urgent court application to overturn the illegal and arbitrary suspension of the CIC Malema and to suspend enforcement of these criminal rules until the courts have pronounced themselves on their unlawfulness and unconstitutionality. The new Rule 53A is in direct violation of section 58 and 71 of the Constitution which guarantees members of parliament the freedom of speech.

The EFF will not be intimidated by any threats of physical violence and illegal suspensions. We will continue to speak the truth without fear or favour. Cyril Ramaphosa is a murderer and he is a co-conspirator in the premeditated murder of the mineworkers of Marikana. The police must move swiftly with their investigation of the criminal case opened in Marikana against Ramaphosa and others. He must be arrested, prosecuted for mass premeditated murder and rot in jail.

The EFF nor the CIC Julius Malema will not apologise to a person whose hands are dripping with the blood of the workers of Marikana.

We will be serving court papers on the Speaker of Parliament, Baleka Mbete. She must rest assured, the EFF shall emerge victorious

Issued by Lehlohonolo Mokoena, EFF Acting National Spokesperson, 10 September 2015