We do not recognise 'Gupta deployee' Malusi Gigaba - EFF
25 October 2017
Cape Town - The Economic Freedom Fighters say they do not recognise Minister of Finance Malusi Gigaba and other "Gupta-deployees", after walking out of Gigaba's first medium-term budget speech.
Gigaba was greeted by a rowdy EFF caucus during his first mid term budget speech in the National Assembly on Wednesday.
The party walked out of the House voluntarily after a heated back-and-forth with Speaker Baleka Mbete before Gigaba's speech.
Mbete had ordered EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi to leave the chamber after he accused Gigaba of being a "corrupt minister" and a "Gupta stooge" during a point of order.
Speaking on the steps of the Poorthuis afterwards, Shivambu told assembled journalists that they do not recognise ministers who were "Gupta-deployees".
"We do not recognise them, or treat them like legitimate appointees of the state. They are just forming part of the corruption that is ongoing in South Africa.
"We do not recognise Malusi Gigaba as a minister of South Africa for finances. He is a minister of the Guptas. That is why we said to Parliament today that let us not allow Gigaba to speak about money of taxpayers."
They said he did not know anything about taxes except "allocating money to the Guptas".
Mbete 'disregarding Parliament's rules'
Shivambu also criticised Mbete's decision to kick him and Ndlozi out of the House on Wednesday. He had been asked to leave too after coming to Ndlozi's defence.
"If you have got an issue with a Member of Parliament, you must address them, before you call the Sergeant-at-Arms, there must be a recurring effort to deal with it. You must ask that member if they want to withdraw what you think is a violation."
Only after that has been exhausted could she call Parliament's security, he argued, calling them "bouncers".
"It is a continued disregard of the rules. We thought when she [decided] on a secret ballot [in August] she was showing signs of respecting the rule of law and the Constitution.
"But now it seems like she is going back to what she was before," he said, referring to the most recent motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma.
They said they would raise her "unacceptable conduct" at the next rules committee meeting.
Gigaba's speech continued in the House as they spoke.
