DA walks out of parliament after JZ storm

PARLIAMENT’S annual debate on the 16 days of activism campaign turned into a political mudslinging match after the DA walked out yesterday vowing to see parliament in court again.

Party MP and DA Women’s League head Denise Robinson was ordered to withdraw a reference to President Jacob Zuma as JZ 783, a reference to the 783 corruption charges the president could face.

But Robinson refused, saying the phrase was not derogatory, and was ordered by Speaker Baleka Mbete to leave the podium and the house.

Party chief whip John Steenhuisen attempted to defend her, but the party walked out.

He told Mbete that her ruling had been wrong and the party would challenge it in court.

By the end of the sitting, the phrase was trending on Twitter.

Before leaving the house, Robinson also said that former ANC youth league leader Patrick Wisani’s conviction for the murder of his girlfriend pointed to serious problems in the ruling party.

She said the fact that he had attempted to use the fact that he was campaigning for elections in his bail hearing was problematic.

The EFF’s Hlengiwe Hlope, meanwhile, said there was no political will from the ANC to fight for women’s rights and that the party’s women’s league was a disgrace and was too busy fighting factional battles to fight for women.

Minister of Women Susan Shabangu said the ANC was the only party actively working towards legislation to protect women and children.

She said the party welcomed the sentence against Wisani as it “can’t tolerate any abuse”.