Floyd Shivambu. Picture: Facebook
On Friday, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) deputy president Floyd Shivambu accused Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu of failing to “overcome” his “alcohol problems” after the minister lashed out at the EFF in a series of tweets.
This follow’s the party’s expulsion from parliament after an outburst which saw them attempt to invade the lectern in protest over Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan – who they term a “constitutional delinquent” – delivering his department’s budget speech.
Mthembu had strong words for the party, saying the incident “is a testimony to their disrespect [for] the rules of parliament,” adding that he considers them “a threat to our democracy”.
He commended the other parties in parliament for refusing to allow the EFF “political thugs” to “drag our democracy into the mud”.
He said that he has no idea how anyone could vote for the EFF and said Gordhan’s only sin was having “stepped on the corrupt toes of EFF cronies”, a comment he repeated at an event in Pretoria on Friday afternoon.
READ MORE: EFF hate Gordhan because he stepped on the toes of their corrupt cronies – Mthembu
“Political etiquette and simple respect are foreign [concepts] in the EFF. They treat everyone, including our presiding officers in parliament, like trash. They think they have an ordained right to rubbish everyone and get away with murder,” Mthembu tweeted, before suggesting that the party’s days might soon be numbered due to their behaviour.
“You don’t hold the executive to account by blocking it from speaking, throwing insults and abuse at members of the executive. The acts of disrespect from the EFF , disguised as robust debate, are also not means to hold the executive to account,” Mthembu added, suggesting that the EFF must “learn from other parties”.
The EFF second-in-command responded to Mthembu’s lengthy dressing down with only a single tweet.
Shivambu suggested that Mthembu is defending Gordhan in the same manner he had defended former president Jacob Zuma in the past.
“For some reason [Jackson Mthembu] I thought you have overcome your alcohol problems. What you’re saying here is exactly the same thing you said when we took on Zuma. You said we won’t get votes, but the EFF grew and you declined. Pravin is a delinquent and he deserves no respect,” he tweeted.
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