DOCUMENTS

'Clown', 'sellout', cat noises drown out SONA debate

ANC MPs continued their tradition of heckling Cope MP Deidre Carter by miaowing as she spoke

'Clown', 'sellout', cat noises drown out SONA debate

Cape Town - The DA and ANC spent 25 minutes arguing about everything but the SONA on Wednesday, as ANC MPs heckled and labelled DA MP Solly Malatsi a "sellout".

Malatsi was the second speaker of the day, after Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies, and wasted no time getting stuck into "false prophet" President Jacob Zuma's government.

"Mr Zuma is the modern day prophet Hananiah in the book of Jeremiah," he told the House.

"Every year he comes to this podium with a new speech of false promises, which he fails to fulfil."

Malatsi sparked the ire of the ANC caucus when he referred to Sunday Times report, according to  which Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti had helped friends secure the title deed to the Limpopo farm Bekendvlei for R97m.

Things quickly got out of hand as ANC MPs started heckling Malatsi and shouting "sellout".

'Clown', cat noises

DA Chief Whip John Steenhuisen rose on a point of order, and wanted the responsible ANC MP reprimanded, as the word had previously been declared unparliamentary.

Deputy speaker Lechesa Tsenoli said he had not heard "sellout" and the MP responsible was not coming forward.

He however ordered Malatsi to withdraw his comments about Nkwinti, as he had heard those. He withdrew.

Later in the debate, another ANC MP called DA deputy chief whip Mike Waters a "clown". Tsenoli reprimanded him and ordered him to withdraw.

He repeated that Waters was a clown, but withdrew.

ANC MPs continued their tradition of heckling Cope MP Deidre Carter by making cat noises as she spoke. They were not reprimanded for it.

'Zuma, what do you have against white people?'

FF Plus leader Pieter Groenewald asked Zuma why he continually “blamed white people” for the problems in the country.

"President Zuma: what have you got against white people in South Africa?" Groenewald asked him during his speech.

"You are using white people as a scapegoat to hide your inability as a government. If you want economic growth, put a moratorium on all black economic empowerment policies and affirmative action."

He said Zuma was meant to be the country’s "moral compass". The high crime rate was due to criminals breaking the law and simply apologising, as Zuma did during the Nkandla saga.

Groenewald said he wanted farm murders investigated.

News24