ANC faces backlash after Zille address disrupted

Members angry about premier not being given chance to give address

CRITICISM is mounting against the ANC, from within its own ranks, over the disruption of Premier Helen Zille’s State of the Province address. Outraged ANC faithfuls took to social media to express anger and concerns about the party’s role in Zille not being given an opportunity to deliver or table her address.

Many ripped into the provincial ANC leadership, saying it was implementing the same “gutter politics” as practised by the EFF and DA in the National Assembly.

Speaker Sharna Fernandez had her hands full as ANC MPLs insisted she deal with an earlier ruling by the House to call in an independent judge to break the deadlock between the ANC and DA over unparliamentary remarks, with racial undertones, in the last provincial Parliament sitting.

The raucous debate saw the ANC’s chief whip in the Western Cape legislature, Pierre Uys, who raised a point of order, being suspended for two days.

Uys said the matter of the remarks had been referred to the Western Cape Judge President, but it had subsequently come to light that Fernandez had illegally overturned the process.

Fernandez said she obtained legal advice on the matter and subsequently overturned the decision. This was done without consulting any of the opposition parties.

But ANC insiders said national had not been happy with the events. Luthuli House was diplomatic in its response to Friday’s events, stopping short of outright criticising the ANC’s action in the province.

ANC national spokesman Zizi Kodwa said the party was “concerned about events in the Western Cape Legislature” which led to the State of the Province address not being delivered as planned.

He reaffirmed the president’s assertion during his reply to the State of the Nation debate, “that our institutions of democracy, specifically the legislatures, must work”.

“In the words of President Zuma, ‘We all have a responsibility to make Parliament work. Parliament is a very important institution of democracy where the hopes, dreams and aspirations of all our people must find expression’,” the statement read.

Kodwa said whatever the differences that led to the actions in the Western Cape Legislature, the ANC called upon all parties in that legislature to respect the House, its decisions and resolve the issues speedily.

But ANC faithfuls took to social media to express their outrage about the incident.

Anda Qhama Bici, former media relations officer in the sport and recreation ministry, posted on Facebook: “No matter the reason, it was wrong for ANC Western Cape to disrupt the Provincial State of The Province. This is wrong in the same way as it was wrong to disrupt SONA... Underhand tactics, reactionary and misguided. Let’s desist those tactics Cdes. They are not serving the interests of the electorate, which (in the context of WC), ANC’s intention should be to convince politically that it is the only hope to lead properly.”

Brent Simons posted: “I have to ask myself if the ANC Western Cape scored any major political points today other than sinking to, and implementing the same levels of gutter politics as practised by the EFF and DA in the National Assembly. Today I express great disappointment in my provincial leadership. Perhaps there is wisdom to be found in the saying (my own interpretation of Sun Tzu) that winning a few silly battles will never win you the war. At the end you might have achieved a narrow unstrategic objective but at a cost that makes the victory ‘turn to ashes’.”

Malaika Mahlatsi posted: “When ANC supporters celebrate such things, you know that we have arrived at a point of no return, where degeneration is a perfect definition of our civilisation.”

Vuyolwethu Sisulu wrote: “ANC should lead by setting an example on how the opposition should behave.”

ANC Western Cape secretary Songezo Mjongile said on Facebook: “The ANC is concerned that the Speaker decided to use the Sopa sitting to overrule a decision taken by legislature that referred a particular matter to the Wcape Judge President which would have exposed DA hypocrisy. Instead of focusing on SOPA they dealt with the matter which collapsed sitting. The ANC calls on all the parties to respect decisions taken by the house.”