EFF ready to head to court over its ban

We are waiting for parliament to confirm the sanctions, and we will jump out and interdict Luvuyo Godla Lawyer for the Economic Freedom Fighters

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said yesterday it would file a court interdict against any sanctions imposed by parliament on 20 of its MPs.

The sanctions include an order to verbally apologise in the sitting of the House and a suspension for 30 days without pay. The sanctions were recommended by the powers and privileges committee last Friday after finding the MPs guilty on all charges, stemming from the heckling of President Jacob Zuma. It is expected to be tabled in the National Assembly this week. EFF lawyer Luvuyo Godla told

The Citizen the party would contest any sanction – including an order to apologise.

“We are waiting for parliament to confirm the sanctions and we will jump out and interdict. The members were within their rights to say Zuma must pay back the money,” said Godla.

On August 21, chaos broke out in the National Assembly after EFF leader Julius Malema asked Zuma if he would pay back some of the money spent on the security upgrades at his private Nkandla home.

Godla claimed Speaker Baleka Mbete was the one responsible for the disruption of proceedings. Mbete, he claimed, panicked and called on EFF MPs to take their seats without mentioning any of them by name, threatened to call the police to throw the members out before suspending proceedings, Godla said.

All the allegedly guilty MPs walked out of the committee last month, citing bias against them, and remained absent from the following sessions that culminated in the pronouncement of their guilty verdict.

Committee chairperson Lemis Mashile would not reveal the date on which any recommendations would be tabled in parliament.