Parly to forge ahead with disciplinary hearing against EFF despite no-show
The red berets are accused of showing contempt for Parliament and for failing to abide by National Assembly rules when they stormed the podium where Gordhan was speaking.
CAPE TOWN - Parliament is moving ahead with a disciplinary hearing into Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MPs who disrupted a speech by Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan last year.
This despite them pulling out of the process.
Parliament’s Powers and Privileges Committee on Wednesday continued disciplinary action against the parliamentarians who tried to derail Gordhan’s 2019 budget vote speech.
The MPs have failed to pitch on both days of the hearing this week.
The committee will forge ahead with the disciplinary proceedings against the 16 members of the EFF.
The red berets are accused of showing contempt for Parliament and for failing to abide by National Assembly rules when they stormed the podium where Gordhan was speaking.
Their legal representative, Kameel Premhid, has told the hearing that the party will be challenging the Powers and Privileges Act and the National Assembly rules before leaving today's meeting.
"I'm instructed by my client, the Economic Freedom Fighters, including the affected members, to place on record that the act on rules of Parliament will be imminently challenged as the basis upon which this proceeding may proceed and then obviously those papers will be served on Parliament and you yourself as the chair of the committee in due course and further, as a consequence of that, may I together with my instructing attorney, begin leave to not attend the hearing as it continues after lunch."
But the committee is unfazed, according to chairperson Philly Mapulane, and heard evidence from witnesses yesterday.
