EFF statement on the unlawful deployment of the South African Police Services to SONA
11 February 2020
It has come to the attention of the EFF that Parliament Security Head Deon Van De Spuy is holding secret meetings to co-ordinate a conspiracy to smuggle members of the South African Police Services inside Parliament disguised as Parliamentary Protection Officers to unleash violence on members of the EFF during the State of the Nation Address to be held on the 13th of February.
The arrogance to undermine the Constitutional Court and Rules of Parliament so early in the term of the 6th Parliament to defend an indecisive and incompetent President will only collapse the proper functioning of Parliament.
The misguided and foolish intention is to bring members of SAPS dressed in white and black, in a similar way it was done in the 5th. Parliament in defense of corrupt and incompetent former President Jacob Zuma. It is against Rule 14GA of the Joint Rules of Parliament, which clearly says that only the Sergeant-At-Arms or Parliamentary Protection Services can remove a member from Parliamentary precincts and not a member of SAPS.
The move to conspire with SAPS by Parliament is unlawful and boarders on constitutional delinquency by the Presiding Officers of Parliament. Any attempt to suppress the opposition in Parliament who are protected by the Powers, Privileges and Immunities of Parliaments and Provincial Legislatures Act will be met by decisive and radical response. If the Presiding Officers engage in such conspiracies, they would have undermined the constitution, rules that govem Parliament and would have lost control of Parliament in a way they will never regain such powers.
The EFF wants to put it categorically clear that it will not be intimidated and will hold the executive accountable through all means necessary. If President Cyril Ramaphosa wants to continue to defending the undefendable Pravin Gordhan, this will only mean we have that we have passed a point of no return and we will deal with him the same way we dealt with the constitutional delinquent and corrupt Jacob Zuma.
The EFF further maintains that we will not allow the proceedings of SONA to continue as long as Pravin Gordhan remains a Minister. When Cyril Ramaphosa speaks, we will also speak.
Cyril Ramaphosa must be careful not to allow the debt he owes Pravin Gordhan to make him fail to put the people of South Africa and the economy first. If he continues to do so and assumes a posture of lawlessness and criminality, we will be left with no choice but to deal with him in the same way we have dealt with the constitutional delinquent and corrupt Zuma.
Issued by Delisile Ngwenya, National Spokesperson, EFF, 11 February 2020
