Fresh Zuma-EFF standoff looms
• EFF vows to disrupt address in Parliament, while soldiers set up outside
President Jacob Zuma is set for another tense showdown in Parliament on Thursday when he delivers what will be his last state of the nation address (Sona) as ANC president.
The build-up to the address has been anything but smooth. Instead of it being dominated by discussion about government policy and Zuma’s questionable legacy, it has lurched from one controversy and confusion to another, with opposition parties and journalists raising concerns about the strong security presence around Parliament.
The EFF, which has disrupted Zuma’s appearances on several occasions in Parliament, has made it clear that it will interrupt the president’s speech again on Thursday. The party said Zuma should not be allowed to speak.
Instead, the EFF said, the day should be used to debate Parliament’s inability to hold Zuma to account despite a clear ruling by the Constitutional Court that he had failed to uphold his oath of office.
President Jacob Zuma is set for another tense showdown in Parliament on Thursday, when he delivers what will be his last state of the nation address as ANC president.
The build-up to the address has been anything but smooth. Instead of its being dominated by discussion about government policy and Zuma’s questionable legacy, it has lurched from one controversy and confusion to another, with opposition parties and journalists raising concerns about the strong security presence around Parliament.
The EFF, which has disrupted Zuma’s appearances on several occasions in Parliament, has made it clear that it will interrupt the president again on Thursday. The party says Zuma should not be allowed to speak. Instead, the day should be used to debate Parliament’s inability to hold Zuma to account despite a clear ruling by the Constitutional Court that he had failed to uphold his oath of office.
Added to this, opposition parties are up in arms over the decision by Zuma to deploy more than 400 soldiers to help the South African Police Service to “maintain law and order” during the opening of Parliament.
They see this “unprecedented move” as another breach of the Constitution.
Another controversy in the lead-up to the address is the clear attempt by Parliament to restrict the movement of journalists on the day, although Parliament’s presiding officers on Wednesday assured members of the media that they would be allowed to do their jobs without any restrictions.
Civil society formations are planning protests directed at the president on the day, prompting fears that this could lead to bloody clashes between the groups and security forces around Parliament.
It was a recipe for disaster, said constitutional law expert and political commentator Shadrack Gutto.
Gutto said it was “very doubtful” that the decision to deploy the army was “rational”.
“The president has the constitutional power to deploy military … but this has to be based on reasonable threats ... the country is not being attacked and there is no one threatening the country, so it is doubtful whether this is a rational decision”, he said.
The political commentator said the deployment of the army and restrictions on journalists was based on paranoia and would fuel tension during the state of the nation address.
“The president deploying the army can be seen as threatening to MPs, which is an encroachment on separation of powers,” said Gutto.
On Wednesday, Parliament dismissed concerns that the South African National Defence Force would be deployed within the parliamentary precinct and the chamber.
“The South African defence force will not be deployed within the precincts of Parliament and the chamber. The only time that may happen is when there is a threat to life and property that is of such a nature that the South African police cannot handle. Their deployment in this regard will be at the request of the South African Police Service. In turn, the [police] can only act at the behest of the presiding officers, except in instances where there is a total breakdown of law and order that threatens life and property,” Parliament said in a statement.
THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE ARMY AND RESTRICTIONS ON JOURNALISTS WAS BASED ON PARANOIA AND WOULD FUEL TENSION