EFF's court case seeking right to disrupt Parliament dismissed

17 May 2016

The Office of the ANC Chief Whip welcomes the decision of the Western Cape High Court yesterday to struck off the roll the EFF case to interdict the Speaker of the National Assembly from instructing the removal of EFF MPs at today's sitting should such become necessary in terms of the rules.

 There is no doubt that the EFF's urgent interdict was frivolous, as it essentially sought to ask the Court to grant them the carte blanche right to disrupt this afternoon's sitting scheduled for oral questions to the President. Through this case, the EFF attempted to cajole the judiciary into being party to  its unconstitutional and silly decision not to recognize the office of the President. Indeed our judiciary ought to remain guarded at all times against attempts by some parties to exploit the courts in their attempts to erode democratic institutions.

We welcome the decision of the Court as it once again affirms the right of Parliament to determine its own conventions, procedures and proceedings in terms of the Constitution without interference consistent with the doctrine of separation of powers.

In terms of the principle of rotation regarding oral questions to the President, the EFF is one of the parties not scheduled to partake in this afternoon's session. Despite this, the EFF wants to disrupt the sitting and deny other parties and Parliament their constitutional function to hold the head of the executive to account.

Issued by Moloto Mothapo on behalf of the Office of the ANC Chief Whip, 17 May 2016