EFF LEADER AND CHIEF WHIP ORDERED TO LEAVE CHAMBER AFTER REFUSING TO WITHDRAW COMMENTS

Parliament, Thursday 17 September 2014 - National Assembly (NA) Speaker, Ms Baleka Mbete, had to order two Members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to leave the NA Chamber today when they refused to withdraw comments they made during question time to Deputy President, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa.

During follow-up questions to the Deputy President, the EFF leader, Mr Julius Malema, and the Party Whip, Mr Floyd Shivambu, refused to withdraw comments which included that Mr Ramaphosa "had blood on his hands...", when asked to do by Ms Mbete.

On 16 September 1997, the NA adopted a report of an Ad Hoc Committee on allegations against certain members - generally referred to as the "Jana Report".

This report recommended that "an allegation against a member should only be made by way of a separate substantive motion, comprising a clearly formulated and properly substantiated charge", and subsequently adopted by the NA.

These recommendations, now a standing order, sanctioned the following ruling by Speaker Frene Ginwala which were made on 17 September 1996:

1. A member who wishes to bring any improper conduct on the part of another Member to the attention of the House, should do so by way of a separate substantive motion, comprising a clearly formulated and properly substantiated charge

2. Except upon such a substantive motion, Members may not impute improper motives to other Members, or cast personal reflections on their integrity as Members, or verbally abuse them in any other way.

Statement issued by Parliament, September 18 2014

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