EFF in a quandary over parly disruption

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma will face his political opponents for the first time since last month’s humiliating local government election when he addresses parliament on Tuesday.

That is, if the EFF allows him to speak and if proceedings are not paralysed by a strike by members of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu).

Zuma has ducked the South African public, his opponents outside the ANC and the media spotlight since the August 3 elections in which ANC support slipped nine percentage points to 53%.

The showdown will be in the National Assembly, where he will face tough questions from resurgent DA leader Mmusi Maimane on dysfunctional state-owned entities and on the possibility of a sovereign ratings downgrade to junk status.

Zuma should face followup questions from Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu of the EFF and from United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa.

His oral replies to questions have in the past been halting at best, and if the past two weeks of parliamentary sittings are anything to go by, he will encounter an emboldened opposition and an apparently shell-shocked ANC caucus.

The EFF, which has vowed not to let Zuma speak in parliament until he has paid back the money he owes the taxpayer for upgrades to his Nkandla homestead, has made a name for itself over the past two years as disruptor-in-chief, having been violently removed from the house several times.

But the EFF finds itself in a bind this time due to the programme schedule.

National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete has agreed to allow a debate sponsored and introduced by Shivambu on the massive problems SAA has developed under chairwoman Dudu Myeni.

Deftly, the SAA debate — a boon for opposition parties — has been scheduled directly after presidential question time.

If the EFF is removed from the chamber or if presidential question time is successfully disrupted, the debate on SAA cannot take place and the EFF loses a golden opportunity. But if the party allows Zuma to proceed, it loses much of the bite its popularity is built on.

EFF sources said the party was well aware of its predicament and had not yet decided what to do.

Spokesman Fana Mokoena said on Friday the EFF did not recognise Zuma as the country’s president.

“We will not discuss our plans for Tuesday. We will address parliament on our position if needs be,” said Mokoena.

Meanwhile, Nehawu has not ruled out downing tools on Tuesday and possibly disrupting Zuma’s session due to a dispute with the secretary to parliament, Gengezi Mgidlana.

“Discussions between parliamentary management and national Nehawu leadership continue,” said branch secretary Temba Gubula.