Chaos in parliament damages our image – Zuma

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma supports the forced removal of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MPs from the National Assembly when they are rowdy, and has called on parliament to do more to prevent further disruptions.

Replying to the debate on the Presidency’s budget yesterday afternoon, Zuma said the disruptions in the last two years had caused great embarrassment for the country and he often fielded questions about it from concerned people in Africa, particularly older people.

The opposition benches were largely empty yesterday after the DA, EFF and six other parties boycotted Zuma’s reply.

Zuma retaliated by not referring to their input.

The only opposition party he referred to in his reply was the IFP, which had not boycotted him.

For the rest of his reply, which lasted just 30 minutes, he only quoted ANC MPs approvingly.

“Madam Speaker, I would like to thank you very much and thank all the participants in the manner in which they conducted themselves,” Zuma said.

“I also responded to the ones who conducted themselves very well.

“If your members have no respect, it’s going to be very difficult to respect them or their contributions. “We all have rights. “I am happy that you were able to handle the house, but commenting as somebody who from time to time comes to this House, I believe we can do more to bring this House into order.

“I go around Africa and people ask me very embarrassing questions about this parliament,” Zuma told the rather empty chamber.

Officials of the protection services entered the National Assembly on Wednesday at the start of the debate and physically removed the 16 EFF MPs who attended the debate.

Zuma said: “Some are complaining, particularly in our region [of Africa], on the manner in which we behave in this parliament.

“We are changing the perceptions they’ve had of us that we’re a leading example in constitutional democracy.

“They are now saying we are influencing some of their people in the wrong way.”

The president said parliament should bring the house into order for the dignity of the country and that people were “not happy with the manner which this parliament is at the moment”.

“People in the rural areas ask what we are doing. Its difficult to answer that,” he said.

“They say: ‘You have been here for years discussing one person, Jacob Zuma. Don’t you have laws to pass.’”