Parly presiding officer details ‘scary’ behaviour by EFF MPs at 2019 budget vote
House chair Grace Boroto was presiding over the sitting last year during which EFF members stormed the podium where Gordhan was delivering his department's budget vote.
CAPE TOWN - A parliamentary presiding officer has told a disciplinary hearing looking into the conduct of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MPs that she feared they were going to attack or even stab Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan.
House chair Grace Boroto was presiding over the sitting last year during which EFF members stormed the podium where Gordhan was delivering his department's budget vote.
She on Thursday gave evidence to Parliament's powers and privileges committee which is hearing from witnesses as part of a disciplinary hearing against 16 EFF MPs.
The committee also heard from three witnesses who saw the EFF MPs disrupt the mini-plenary last year.
Boroto told the hearing she was shocked.
“If there is going to be a charge, I’m not sure what is going to happen, I can’t say they were going to beat him or they were going to stab him. We see in other Parliaments those things happen, but I was just afraid because already there was a threat, that said this man is not going to talk here today.”
The committee also received oral evidence from Collen Mahlangu, the under-secretary of the National Assembly Table who was on duty when the incident took place.
Video footage was played during Mahlangu’s testimony to help committee members identifying those involved.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: EFF disrupts Gordhan in Parliament
