The sign language 'word' that got Twitter talking. Picture: Twitter
Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete told MPs in parliament on Tuesday afternoon that she didn’t hear anyone shouting “fuck you!” at DA MP John Steenhuisen while Steenhuisen had been criticising President Jacob Zuma and asking for a moment’s silence for the Esidemeni 94.
So, to help our hard-of-hearing Speaker, we found the video clip of the moment for her and present it here for her edification.
Take a look:
While there was clearly more than one ANC MP (the first clearly being a man) shouting obscenities at the DA, including at its leader Mmusi Maimane, it has been alleged that the loudest shouter of insults, especially about alleged racism, was Small Business Minister Lindiwe Zulu.
It appears that due to Mbete’s hearing issues, no action is now likely to be taken against the offending MPs.
Amusingly, the sign language interpreter for the SABC had no trouble hearing the swear words, as he dutifully interpreted every single one of them.