The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Monday said they were requesting Parliament to make the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) cough up for any cleaning and damaged costs incurred during Tuesday’s trouble in and outside of the National Assembly.
“We will also demand that the bill not be paid by the public, through Parliament and its budget, but by Julius Malema and the EFF,” said DA chief whip John Steenhuisen.
“The EFF’s violence and destruction yesterday is not an acceptable form of holding (President Jacob) Zuma accountable. It only undermined the integrity of Parliament, and was an assault on our Constitution and the principles which underpin it.
” Steenhuisen said the DA would submit their request to Speaker Baleka Mbete and Parliament’s Secretary Gengezi Mgidlana that the clean-up and repair costs following the “EFF’s violence and destruction on the precinct yesterday afternoon” be made public.
Steenhuisen added that the conduct in Parliament during President Jacob Zuma’s response to questions – which included numerous points of orders by the EFF, fter culminating in protection services removing them from the House, fist fights, and the damage to Parliament property – demonstrated that the EFF were “prepared to use violence to get their way and clearly are not a party that can be trusted by South Africans to take our country forward again”.
Meanwhile, said Steenhuisen, the DA would continue to hold Zuma accountable for his conduct, using the Constitution and the law. “We also call on [South Africa] to vote out corrupt leaders like Jacob Zuma and hold the ANC accountable for defending and protecting him for this long,” said Steenhuisen. Numerous attempts were made to the EFF for a right of reply.