The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on Thursday took the decision that all its Members of Parliament (MPs) will not participate in the 2024 State of the Nation Address (SONA).
The party’s deputy president Floyd Shivambu said the 2024 SONA activities and programmes are undemocratic and unconstitutional, labelling the occasion as an extended Caucus of the ANC.
The EFF suffered a legal setback on Thursday as the Western Cape High Court dismissed its urgent application to overturn the suspension of six of its MPs from attending President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation.
The full bench of the high court dismissed the EFF’s application with costs after finding that it was not urgent.
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The EFF had approached the court in a last-ditch effort to challenge the National Assembly’s adoption of a report by the powers and privileges committee, which recommended the suspension as punishment for disrupting last year’s SONA by storming the stage while Ramaphosa was addressing the joint sitting of the houses of Parliament.
The six EFF MPs who were found guilty of contempt of Parliament are Julius Malema, Floyd Shivambu, secretary-general Marshall Dlamini, Vuyani Pambo and Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, and EFF spokesperson Sinawo Tambo.
“Partial participation in the 2024 SONA activities and programme would imply that some of our Members agree with the unlawful, undemocratic, and unconstitutional decisions of Parliament to forbid and banish elected Members of Parliament. We will, therefore, not attend or participate in the ANC’s extended Parliamentary Caucus,” said Shivambu.
The EFF deputy president explained that all EFF Public Representatives will rather focus on the upcoming launch of the party’s Manifesto, taking place at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, 10th February 2024.
“We know that our maximum focus on the Manifesto launch and election work will rescue South Africa from the undemocratic and unconstitutional rulings of Parliament and the courts. The year 2024 is going to rescue our country from the alliance of corrupt politicians and judges who are puppeteered by the white capitalist establishment.
“We call on our Ground Forces to pay maximum and optimal attention to work on the ground until election victory. No amount of intimidation and no amount of apartheid-like suppression of our democratic rights will prevent us from consolidating the ground towards a socialist future. We are the generation that this country has been waiting for, and we shall overcome! Victory is Certain!” Shivambu maintained.
The punishment for disrupting last year’s SONA not only barred EFF MPs from attending it, but also docked their salaries for February and ordered the MPs to apologise to the National Assembly.
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