Parly SONA disciplinary hearings against 6 EFF MPs to continue without them
EFF leader Julius Malema, who’s included in the matter, stormed out the hearings on Monday. The red berets called for a postponement of the hearings to 2024 and for a retired judge to be part of the process.
CAPE TOWN - Parliament's disciplinary hearings against six Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) members of Parliament (MPs), including leader Jullius Malema, will continue on Tuesday in their absence.
Malema abandoned the hearings on Monday.
He also instructed his legal team, led by advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, to walk out.
The EFF called for the hearings to be postponed to 2024, and requested that a retired judge be part of the process.
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Malema and five other EFF MPs are facing a disciplinary for storming the stage during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) in February and for "threatening" President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Parliament's powers and privileges committee, which is conducting the hearings, dismissed calls to postpone the hearings to January or February 2024.
This led to an angry response from Malema, who said his party would no longer be part of the process.
“You can go and be together in your own arrangement there. We are not going to participate in this kangaroo court because its outcome has been determined even before by yourself and the DA [Democratic Alliance].”
Ngcukaitobi said it would not fly for Parliament be the prosecutor and judge, warning against possible bias.
“You are the judge, prosecutor, and sheriff in one - that is just wrong.”
Parliament's appointed initiator and prosecutor, advocate Anton Katz, said the hearings could continue with or without the EFF and adverse findings could be made in their absence.
