Naughty corner: Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema led the charge against Israel over Gaza and the ANC backed him – with a slight amendment. Photo: Esa Alexander/Gallo Images
Wednesday.
It has been less than 24 hours since South Africa’s parliament voted 248-91 in favour of an Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) motion to close the Israeli embassy and cut diplomatic ties with the Zionist state.
The ANC MPs followed the party line and backed an amended version of the original EFF resolution — they had to claim limelight back from the Red Berets somehow — to take a diplomatic stand against the carnage in Gaza.
EFF leader Julius Malema was a step ahead of the ANC when it came to taking the issue of ending diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv to parliament, putting it under
pressure to back his motion — and follow through with the cabinet’s threats to expel the Israeli ambassador.
The ANC chose to back the motion — the opposite of what it did when the EFF took the lead on land redistribution without compensation — and gave us the rare sight, albeit in hybrid form, of the two parties acting in unison.
For once, the comrades and the fighters were reading from the same hymn book and voting in concert — rather than against each other — an unusual show of solidarity between the two parties.
It was as if Phala Phala — or Malema’s expulsion from the ANC — never happened.
Speakers from the two parties took turns to address the issue of the Occupation — rather than each other — complementing each other’s positions on the need for an immediate ceasefire, and for the long-term security of the Palestinian state.
No insults — except for the Occupiers.
No muting, cutting off or kicking out — virtual or otherwise — for an entire parliamentary vote and debate.
No abstentions either.
House chairperson Cecil Frolick must have thought that he was chairing somebody else’s parliament — or that he was imagining things — so decorous were Tuesday’s proceedings.
No continuous points of order, madam speakers or calls for protection; the ANC and the EFF got through a whole debate without a single call to security to remove a member from the chamber.
The unusual show of unity between the EFF and ANC — and the smaller parties that backed the motion — wasn’t just important in that it solidified South Africa’s stance on Gaza and added parliament’s voice to the show of solidarity and outrage.
The governing party is going into next year’s national and provincial elections with one eye on a potential coalition partner should it drop below the 50% plus one it needs to govern alone.
Tuesday’s vote is a reminder to the ANC and the EFF that they can cooperate beyond their fractious local government coalitions, currently under review by the governing party’s national executive committee — if they really want to.
None of which, of course, stopped parliament’s powers and privileges committee from sending Malema and five of his colleagues to the naughty corner for a month over their storming of the podium while President Cyril Ramaphosa was trying to deliver this year’s State of the Nation address (Sona).
The six — Malema, Floyd Shivambu, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, Marshall Dlamini, Vuyani Pambo and Sinawo Tambo — have been ordered to apologise to Ramaphosa, the speaker of parliament and fellow MPs, along with the people of South Africa.
The parliamentary leg of the apology will have to be delivered in the House — in person — a pretty clear message to all would-be pitch invaders ahead of next year’s speech by el presidente.
The Suspended Six have been docked a month’s salary each — hopefully the Ford Rangers are paid off — and will also have to watch next year’s Sona on the telly as it falls within their period of banishment.
For the first time since the Pay Back the Money days, the EFF leader and his nearest and dearest will have to charge the big screen in the boardroom at Winnie Madikizela- Mandela House if they don’t like what the head of state has to say.
It’s going to be way less fun for those of us covering or watching the Sona — the remaining Reds are likely to stay away in solidarity — but it may be a good deal for Malema and company after a decade of being manhandled by parliamentary security, the police or both.
One doesn’t see the EFF’s own security beating them down and hauling them off — or crushing anybody’s crown jewels — for throwing water bottles or helmets at their own television.
They’re not likely to fine themselves either — another upside of owning the building — or impose a month of exile from EFF HQ on themselves for unruly behaviour, so there’s an upside to being benched from parliament next February.
The powers and privileges committee appear to have done Malema and company a solid, rather than punishing them.