EFF MPs to face conduct committee after SONA disruption
EFF MPs' conduct during Thursday evening's State of the Nation Address (SONA) will land them a date with Parliament's Powers and Privileges Committee.
However, by leaving on their own accord rather than "with the assistance" of the parliamentary chamber support services, the EFF MPs sidestepped an immediate suspension which would have seen them miss next week's debate on President Cyril Ramaphosa's speech.
Several EFF MPs, including leader Julius Malema, raised several points of order – first insisting that former deputy president and last apartheid-era president FW de Klerk leave the public gallery, and then insisting that Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan be fired.
National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise on several occasions asked them to stop raising the same points of order and not to stand up and speak without being recognised.
After Modise suspended proceedings, she allowed Malema a short speech, after which he and his colleagues left the chamber, with some of the EFF MPs throwing water bottles at other MPs.