Bouncers, cops practise their parliamentary procedure
● Parliament’s bouncers and police officers are ready to face off with any MPs who get rowdy at the state of the nation address on Thursday.
Parliamentary bouncers, joined by police officers and members of the State Security Agency, yesterday held an “exercise” in the National Assembly chamber on how to tackle the situation should there be trouble in the house when President Jacob Zuma delivers the address, as he is expected to do.
Last year, violent clashes between parliamentary security personnel and opposition MPs erupted in the assembly.
The EFF this week indicated that it would raise its concerns during Zuma’s address after National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete declined its request for the address to be postponed.
“There are members of the SAPS coming, they will be coming to assist if anything outside our control and capacity happens,” said a source.
Another official who asked not to be named said it was agreed at yesterday’s security meeting that SAPS members wearing civilian clothing to the sitting should not wear white shirts, to avoid confusion as the parliamentary bouncers wear these as part of their uniform.
“Police have been told to stop wearing white shirts.
“They have many colours to choose except white,” said the official.
It is understood that the police will deploy close to 400 members to the sitting from their various divisions, including VIP protection services, public order policing and the explosives unit. Officers will come from as far afield as Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and the Northern Cape.
Sources in the police said that the SAPS had budgeted R5.5million for the operation.
SAPS national spokesman Brigadier Vish Naidoo declined to deny or confirm the deployment of police officers, or the related budget.
“As a rule, we do not disclose the number of police officers deployed during operations. I am not sure where and how you came about that figure, but we also do not provide such figures, especially before an event operation,” said Naidoo.
Those present at yesterday’s rehearsal confirmed that four CCTV cameras had been installed to monitor movements in the public gallery of the National Assembly.
This follows the release of a spray substance from the gallery during the state of the nation address last year.
Parliament could not identify who had released the substance.