EFF statement on the suspension of the Head and Deputy of Parliamentary Protection Services

31 July 2015

The Economic Freedom Fighters has observed media reports linking the suspension of the Head and Deputy of Parliamentary Protection Services to the burglary of the CIC Julius Malema’s Office. The media have fallen for a decoy because their reports do not raise the obvious question of what did the head and deputy of the Parliamentary Protection Services do in order to be suspended as parliament’s communication did not provide such information.

We have it on good record that the Head and Deputy of the Parliamentary Protection Services have been suspended because they refused to integrate members of the SAPS into parliament security. This is in light of the new rule that Parliament has approved which envisages the usage of physical force to remove members of parliament from the chamber at the instruction of the Speaker.

Zelda Holtzman, and her deputy, Motlatsi Mokgatla have been put under suspension because they could not agree to integrating hand-picked SAPS members into parliament security without due process. In fact, they argued that existing parliamentary security is sufficient and that there is no need to hire more people, let alone the police. Parliament wanted them to integrate 25 members of the SAPS that were used to assault EFF members during the State of the Nation Address this year.

It is a well known fact that Parliament security officers refused to be used towards the State of the Nation Address to assault EFF MPs. We know that they were suppose to be given training to this effect and many of them said they shall never beat up members of parliament purely for things that they say because they work for all of us not just the ANC. This is the reason why parliament opted to use hand-picked police masquerading in white shirts instead of members of Parliamentary Protection Services.

The Head and Deputy of Parliamentary Protection Services also stated openly to parliament secretary, Mr Mgidlana that they disagree with the idea of physical removal of MPs. This is the real reason why they are under suspension and we know that a junior security staff member, Deon van der Spuy is being considered to act in their absence because he believes in the physical removal and assault of MPs from parliament chambers.

The investigation into the CIC’s office burglary has therefore nothing to do with this suspension. The suspension is purely related to administration of the new unconstitutional rule on the physical removal of MPs. Zelda Holtzman, and her deputy, Motlatsi Mokgatla come from long years of struggle, UDF and MK respectively and are therefore not easily manipulable into doing wrong things. They stood their ground as dictated by their conscience and the law and this is the reason they are being victimised through suspensions.

EFF will be approaching the court on urgent basis to stop the implementation of this new rule as it is targeted to protect President Zuma. This new rule is inconsistent with Section 58 of the Constitution which states that Members of Parliament “are not liable to civil or criminal proceedings, arrest, imprisonment or damages for… anything that they have said in, produced or submitted to the Assembly or any of its committees.”

Section 58 of the Constitution is actually titled Privilege because this is the privilege of MPs to speak about anything without any fear of arrest or imprisonment. The constitution does not allow anyone to be assaulted for raising a point of order; it says parliament must find ways of putting its house in order, but these ways cannot violate a clearly set out privilege. We cannot be physically removed from the chamber for things that we say.

Statement issued by the Economic Freedom Fighters, July 31 2015