Julius Malema and five of his fellow Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are going the extra mile to ensure they can attend the State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Thursday, 8 February.
They have now approached the Western Cape High Court, which this week turned down their application to overturn their suspension from Parliament for the month of February, with an offer to submit their payslips and other expense information to prove they do not have other means of employment and depend on their salaries to make ends meet, reports News24. The suspension from Parliament means their salaries will be docked for the month.
They were suspended from Parliament following their disruption of last year’s Sona. In December 2023, the National Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour of suspending Malema, along with his deputy Floyd Shivambu, secretary-general Marshall Dlamini, and senior members Vuyani Pambo, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi and party spokesperson Sinawo Tambo. The six were were found guilty of contempt of Parliament after they stormed the stage at the Cape Town City Hall during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address in February 2023.
Their suspension from 1 February to 29 February means they will not only miss Sona, but also the Budget speech on 14 February.
In their new application to overturn the suspension, Malema argues: “I am advised that, during argument on 29 January 2024, counsel for Parliament, Mr [Michael] Bishop, questioned whether it was correct that MPs would not be able to afford to pay for children’s school fees without the ‘evidence’ in this regard. I would have imagined this to be obvious. But to the extent that it is not obvious to Parliament, we will make available our payslips to the court and the school fees and personal expenses that will be required at this time of the year, on a confidential basis to the court.”
The new application will be heard on Tuesday, 6 February.
Earlier, the EFF slammed the court decision on the suspension, reports IOL.
“The timing of this suspension, specifically choosing February 2024 to exclude our members from the upcoming Sona, is particularly nefarious. This move appears to be a calculated attempt to ensure that Ramaphosa can deliver his final Sona without facing scrutiny from the EFF.
“It is therefore evident that the ANC-led government is resorting to vindictive measures to silence opposition voices and evade accountability for their failures. Despite these unjust actions, we want to assure the public that all EFF members of Parliament who attend the Sona will continue to hold Ramaphosa accountable for his failures.
“These include the rampant unemployment statistics, rising crime rates, gender-based violence, and the Phala Phala farm scandal, which was the primary reason for our initial protest,” said the EFF.
Cape Town’s City Hall has been the venue for Sona since a fire destroyed parts of the parliamentary complex on New Year’s Day 2022.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Picture: X/@Sbusiso_MM
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by African Insider
