OPPOSITION SLAMMED

MINISTER in the Presidency Jeff Radebe last night slammed the opposition parties for disrupting President Jacob Zuma ’ s state of the nation address, calling on Parliament to act strongly against them.

Radebe ’ s comments came after the Democratic Alliance walked out of the Sona, just minutes after Economic Freedom Fighters were forcefully removed from the House.

It all started when MPs from the opposition parties complained that the cellphone signal had been jammed, hampering the transmission of images and information about what was transpiring in the Parliament.

But chaos broke out when EFF MPs refused to leave after they were ordered to do so by National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete for insisting that Zuma answer the question when he was going to pay back a portion of the money spent on security upgrades at his Nkandla home.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe criticised the EFF for disruption, saying anarchy can never run the nation.

Mantashe backed Mbete ’ s handling of the proceedings.

“I think the firmness in dealing with that situation is highly appreciated; it was handled to the rule and that is what is necessary. Rules of Parliament make provision on dealing with those situations and they were applied today appropriately, ” said Mantashe.

He told e-tv that some MPs were trying to carry out a coup from Parliament. Ashen-faced senior diplomats of major South African trading partners told journalists that they were shocked by the events.

In the run up to the Sona, EFF ’ s leader Julius Malema had made it clear that they would disrupt the speech by asking Zuma when he was going to pay back the Nkandla money.