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EFF opens criminal case against NA speaker following Parliament scuffle
'All brave battalions of the EFF, inside and outside of Parliament are willing to bleed in defence of South Africa from an international criminal.'
Chaos erupts after members of EFF are asked to leave the house during the Presidency Budget Vote Debate Response at Parliament. Images/Brenton Geach
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has opened a criminal case against Speaker of the National Assembly Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.
This after the President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech in the National Assembly chambers descended into chaos on Thursday, when EFF members continuously heckled Ramaphosa and other ANC MPs.
Moments after Ramaphosa started his speech on Friday morning, an EFF MP raised a point of order, insisting that the national Assembly could not be addressed by Ramaphosa.
After speaker Mapisa-Nqakula warned the EFF she would not allow the sitting to be disrupted, EFF MP Sinawo Tambo and Naledi Chirwa were removed.
Scuffles then broke out between the Red Berets and security officials, with footage showing EFF MPS screaming, pushing and throwing bottles of water.
Some of the EFF members were also seen being dragged out of the chambers by the security officials.
WATCH: EFF MPs booted from parliament (again) after disrupting Ramaphosa’s speech (again)
According to the party, a woman was assaulted physically and sexually.
“EFF MPs who were subjected to Mapisa-Nqakula’s tyranny in service of Ramaphosa, have opened a case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and sexual assault against Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and the so-called Parliament Protection Services. The case has been opened at the Cape Town Central Police Station,” said the party in a statement.
“We call on the police to speedily act on the cases we have opened because they have always acted when cases are opened against EFF members whilst they did nothing when we opened the cases of abuse and assault against the parliamentary protection services during president Jacob Zuma’s time.”
The party said it would pursue private prosecution against speaker and the parliament protection services if nothing is done about the cases it has opened.
“The fight against Ramaphosa and his cronies is far from over, wherever he speaks and the EFF has an opportunity, we will ensure he answers to the grave accusations of money laundering against him, a crime which erodes our fiscus and is defined by criminality, tax evasion and illicit financial flow of funds.
“All brave battalions of the EFF, inside and outside of Parliament are willing to bleed in defence of South Africa from an international criminal. The War has been declared!”
