The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is demanding that the disciplinary hearings against six of its members be heard by a judge or advocate. This follows the disruption of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) in February when the EFF stormed the stage in protest over the Phala Phala matter.
The Powers and Privileges Committee met on Monday morning to begin the hearings. But the EFF sought a postponement. Six EFF MPs are now being charged with contempt of Parliament for their actions in the National Assembly in February as the EFF moved to demand Ramaphosa be held accountable even despite various agencies clearing the President of wrongdoing.
They include EFF leader Julius Malema, Floyd Shivambu, Marshall Dlamini, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, Vuyani Pambo and Sinawo Thambo.
The EFF has indicated that it has approached the high court in Cape Town to halt the disciplinary hearings pending their legal challenge to the disciplinary rules of Parliament.
“If you continue constituting the committee in the current fashion you will fall foul of the common law rule against bias. Your proceedings will be unlawful and unconstitutional. So, that is why we do not ask that the matter should not sit. We never made that request but what we do ask is that the matter should sit before a neutral, independent chairperson,” says Adv Tembeka Ngcukaitobi SC, EFF legal counsel. However, this was opposed by the initiator of the hearings.
“The current application for the application has been brought for one purpose only; to delay the commencement of the enquiry on unsustainable grounds. It has not been brought in good faith. It has been brought at the eleventh hour in what may be legitimately regarded as an ambush. The application for postponement must be dismissed,” says Adv Anton Katz SC, Initiator: EFF disciplinary hearing.
Source: eNCA
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