Chaos as MPs come to blows

Opposition MPs came to blows in the National Assembly yesterday during the president’s question and answer session, prompting house chairperson Thoko Didiza to call security to remove members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and AgangSA.

EFF MP Nazier Paulsen climbed over benches to throw punches at AgangSA deputy president Andries Tlouamma, who had let rip an expletive.

This followed earlier pushing and shoving between the EFF benches and the Democratic Alliance after DA chiefwhip John Steenhuisen referred to the far-left party’s MPs as “VBS looters”. This was in a reference to allegations that both party leader Julius Malema and his deputy Floyd Shivambu had shared in the loot of the fraud scam at the controversial VBS Mutual Bank.

The EFF responded by chanting “racists” at the DA MPs.

When Didiza interrupted the shouting match for long enough to allow President Cyril Ramaphosa to speak, he said he was “taken aback” by what had transpired and “even a bit handicapped”.

Violence broke out among the benches repeatedly during the question and answer sessions under Ramaphosa’s predecessor Jacob Zuma.

It was the first time it happened since Ramaphosa took over power in February. – ANA