ANC wants to change Parliament’s rules to stop criticism of Zuma: report
ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu has written to Parliament’s rules committee to propose a change that prevents any further criticism of president Jacob Zuma by “abusive” MPs in the National Assembly.
This is according to a report in the Sunday Times, and follows a complaint by the president during a question and answer session in the National Assembly earlier this month.
“Each time when I come here, I am abused by members of your house. Instead of answering questions, I sit here being called a criminal, a thief,” he said.
He called for Parliament to do something about it.
Mthembu noted that EFF leader Julius Malema calling the president a “criminal” and “thief” – was the final straw. “Arising out of what happened, I’ve written to the rules committee as the chief whip of the majority party, and I’ve said they must consider this matter.
“They must consider how we deal with circumstances where people … do things in defiance and outside of our rules.
“If you need people to be removed, let them be removed immediately so that we are able to proceed with matters that are before the house.
“I’ve put that matter before the rules committee so that they can deal with that matter,” Mthembu said.
The DA said it would oppose such a rule.
“Before we bring him back we must be clear in our heads as parliament: how do we defend him?” said Mthembu.
“You can hate him with a passion, I don’t care, but shouldn’t you at least, when you are in that house, use that house in the best interest of the people? And that’s where I think we’re losing.”
Read the full article in the 25 September edition of the Sunday Times.
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