Parly GBV charge probed

TAKEN SERIOUSLY: ADVOCATE TO LOOK INTO UNRULY EFF’S ACCUSATIONS Red berets and House officials point fingers at each other after two disruptive sittings this month.

Parliament has appointed an independent investigator to probe allegations of sexual harassment following a scuffle between Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) members and Parliamentary Protection Services (PPS) officials.

Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo confirmed yesterday that advocate Elizabeth Baloyi-Mere had been appointed to investigate the EFF’s complaints.

“Advocate Baloyi-Mere’s responsibility will be to assess the complaints and allegations made by the EFF members against the PPS officials, as well as complaints and claims made by the PPS officials against the EFF members, and then report to the speaker on its findings and recommendations,” Mothapo said in a statement.

The complaint was filed by EFF chief whip Floyd Shivambu, calling on National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to conduct an investigation into allegations of gender-based violence allegedly committed by members of the PPS against red berets MPs.

On 9 June, EFF MPs had to be removed from parliament for disruptive behaviour, which saw the debate on the presidency budget vote delayed by more than an hour.

When President Cyril Ramaphosa returned to the House to reply to the debate the following day, chaos erupted again, with EFF MPs saying they would not be addressed by a criminal.

Ramaphosa had come under fire for alleged theft of $4 million at his Phala Phala farm in Limpopo because the crime had not been reported to the South African Police Service.

“EFF members were removed from the chamber and on the online platform after, on both days, they engaged in gross disturbance in the House through persistent points of order, disorderliness and defiance of the speaker’s rulings and authority, purporting to question the presence of President

Cyril Ramaphosa to the Assembly,” Mothapo said.

He said PPS officials also lodged a complaint “about allegedly violent treatment from EFF MPs who resisted and actively hindered them from carrying out Mapisa-Nqakula’s instruction to remove disruptive members”.

“The PPS officials further reported that threats and intimidation were meted out to them by certain EFF members.”

Mothapo said Baloyi-Mere’s investigation has to be completed within 14 working days, with a written report five working days after that.

The EFF opened a criminal

case against Mapisa-Nqakula over the incidents. It says a woman was assaulted physically and sexually.

“EFF MPs, who were subjected to Mapisa-Nqakula’s tyranny in service of Ramaphosa, have opened a case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and sexual assault against Mapisa-Nqakula, and the socalled Parliamentary Protection Services. The case has been opened at the Cape Town central police station,” the party said earlier this month.

It would pursue private prosecution against Mapisa-Nqakula and the PPS if nothing came of the cases.