ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Julius Malema, 5 other EFF MPs suspended from South Africa’s Parliament without pay

Julius Malema, a popular South African lawmaker who doubles as the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, one of the country’s biggest opposition parties has been suspended from parliament alongside five other colleagues for one month without pay.

Julius Malema, 5 other EFF MPs suspended from South Africa’s parliament without pay

Their suspension came nine months after they disrupted the country’s State Of The Nation Address (SONA) presented by President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this year.

The Powers and Privileges Committee found the legislators guilty of violating the Powers, Privileges, and Immunities Act, according to a communiqué released by the parliament on Wednesday, November 22.

Additionally, the committee ordered that they personally apologise to the Speaker of the Legislative House, the President, and the South African people for their conduct.

Julius Malema, Floyd Shivambu, Sinawo Tambo, Vuyani Pambo, Marshall Dlamini, and Dr. Mbuyiseni Ndlozi are the six suspended MPs.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Members of Parliament hurried to the platform on February 9, 2023, the day President Cyril Ramaphosa was scheduled to give his State Of The Nation speech. Security services eventually removed them.

At the time, President Ramaphosa was the target of protests over the nation's historic power outages as well as accusations of corruption. The EFF, the second-largest opposition party in the nation's legislature had demanded his resignation.

The affected MPs, on Monday, walked out of the committee’s hearings against them following the committee's denial of their request for a postponement.

Malema voiced his disapproval of the nomination of attorney Anton Katz as the hearing's initiator.

“I will not be persecuted by a white man,” he said.

ADVERTISEMENT

The six MPs will be suspended for the entire month of February in the next year, which means that Malema and the other five MPs will not be allowed to attend the president's upcoming State of the Nation speech, which is scheduled for that same month.

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh

ADVERTISEMENT