Are Cele and Lamola protecting the EFF?

23 March 2021

Parliamentary questions by the DA about criminal complaints and civil cases against the EFF remain unanswered, strongly suggesting that ANC Ministers are protecting EFF members.

On 5 March DA Chief Whip Natasha Mazzone submitted the following parliamentary questions for written reply to Minister of Police Bheki Cele and Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola, respectively, in relation to Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Members of Parliament in the National Assembly:

“What (a) total number of criminal complaints have been lodged with the SA Police Service against current Members of Parliament in the National Assembly of the Economic Freedom Fighters (names furnished), (b) are the relevant details of every specified complaint and (c) is the current progress status of every such complaint?”

And

“What (a) total number of civil cases have been placed on any court roll where the respondent is a current Member of Parliament in the National Assembly (details furnished), (b) are the relevant details of every single civil case and (c) is the current progress status of every such case?”

In terms of the Rules of the National Assembly, the Ministers had 10 working days to respond to the DA’s question, but have failed to do so, in the process undermining the constitutionally enshrined principle of transparent public administration.

The DA will not allow the Ministers' apparent cushy and biased relationship with Julius Malema and co to stand in the way of necessary transparency and oversight.

In accordance with the Rules of the National Assembly, the DA will now submit the questions for oral reply in the House itself in order to force both Ministers Cele and Lamola to expose the EFF in public.

Issued by Natasha Mazzone, Chief Whip of the Official Opposition, 23 March 2021