EFF leader Lawrence Mapoulo arriving at the Legislature with members of his party.
The maiden sitting of the Limpopo legislature degenerated into pandemonium when a verbal conflict erupted between speaker, Makoma Makhurupetje and members of the Economic Freedom Fighters.
The sitting was meant for premier, Phophi Ramathuba to respond to questions emanating from her speech during the opening of the legislature in Polokwane last Friday.
The verbal exchange ensued when Makhurupetje chastised the red berets for refusing to honour her when she entered the legislative chambers in Lebowakgomo on Thursday.
As part of legislative decorum, members of the legislature are expected to stand up when the presiding officer enters the house but EFF members adamantly remained seated, much to the annoyance of the house chair.
They also refused to rise during the silent prayer session and that was when the speaker lost her cool.
An irate Makhurupetje wasted no time in ordering EFF members to leave the house.
“There was no reason that informs for the EFF to remain seated. This is in contempt and disregard the authority of the presiding officer deliberately. I therefore request members of the EFF to leave the house” Makhurupetje ordered.
The conduct of the EFF has received widespread condemnation in the legislature.
Lindy Wilson, provincial leader of the Democratic Alliance the EFF stand was unjustified and disrespectful to the house.
She said “As the DA, we believe the speaker was justified in her ruling to remove EFF members from the house. We cannot have the legislature business being hampered and processes undermined by petty behaviour. Limpopo has many issues that need to be tackled and we need to get down to business. Our job is to oversee and monitor the executive as opposition, and to hold them to account, not to hold the house to ransom.”
The ANC said the EFF’s disruptive conduct have undermine the decorum of the legislature. and as a party we support the referral of their conduct to the ethics committee
The party’s provincial spokesperson, Jimmy Machaka said “We call upon members and leaders to desist from acting in a childish manner because this just unwarranted in the legislature. Rules and decorum must be respected at all times. It is not necessary for opposition parties to act in a disruptive manner simply because they are an opposition party.”
Despite widespread condemnation in the house, the EFF is not lowering its guard, instead accused the presiding officer of “laziness”.
Provincial party leader, Lawrence Mapoulo said the EFF condemns in the strongest possible terms the conduct of the speaker who removed them from the official opening reply by the premier.
“The irrational removal of EFF MPLs is a ploy to shield the premier to give accurate answers to issues raised by the EFF during the debate on the official opening of the 7th administration address. Unprovoked, the speaker called on security officers to remove EFF MPLs for not standing up when she entered the house. The EFF will not be forced to rise and salute people who fail to provide services to the people of Limpopo. Any attempt to undermine the presence of the EFF in the legislature will be confronted through house, committees and other legal channels. “We will never allow the partisan speaker to intimidate us in an endeavour to weaken and compromise democracy. We will never surrender to laziness or systems that seek to glorify mediocre.
The EFF Limpopo is committed to holding the executive and government accountable and we will force those who continue to lie to communities to deliver services. Removal or no removal from the house, those who fail to do their work will be held to account and to respect the people of Limpopo.”