There was pandemonium in the National Assembly last night when members of the opposition were skopped out of Parliament amid punching, swearing and screaming.
President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation Address was delayed by one hour and 20 minutes as members of the Economic Freedom Fighters and Democratic Alliance insisted on disrupting the first sitting of the House for 2017.
Early on there were signs there would be a repeat of last year’s chaos when the president entered the house to chants of “tsotsi” from the EFF.
The DA, who arrived with black flags with the words “Remembering the Esidimeni 94”, then insisted Parliament observe a moment of silence for the mentally ill patients who allegedly died at the hands of the Department of Health in Gauteng.
Speaker Baleka Mbete refused this request.
EFF leader Julius Malema then claimed that 21 police officers had been disguised as parliamentary security personnel and armed with cable ties and “biological weapons" in syringes to attack his party.
But Mbete said she could not act on “hearsay”.
“It should not be a rumour because it came from an opposition [MP],” Malema retorted.
Cope MP Willie Madisha was the first to be kicked out of Parliament after he refused an order from the Speaker to leave.
It was downhill from there as EFF MP Godrich Gardee rose to remind the joint sitting that the Constitutional Court had, in the Nkandla case, found Zuma had flouted the law.
ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu stood up to defend Zuma against what he termed a “frivolous” motion.
After Zuma started speaking, and Mbete issued a warning, EFF MP Mbuyseni Ndlozi rose and demanded Zuma leave.
“Mr Zuma is a constitutional delinquent,” said Ndlozi.
The EFF was ordered to sit down or leave the chamber.
Juju said he would leave but shouted down Mbete, as riot police lined up outside.
“You are irrational, you are impatient, you are partisan, even your own people have dumped you because of exactly this conduct,” Malema blasted.
Malema then got a bekskoot as the Parliamentary security white shirts descended, and a free-for-all erupted as EFF members fought back as they were dragged out of parly.
As the violence erupted, Zuma could be seen laughing.
DA chief whip John Steenhuisen then challenged Mbete on allowing security forces into Parliament, in a violation of the law and court orders.
Soon after that the DA walked out.