Zuma’s turning Parliament into Polsmoor prison

18 February 2016

The DA notes with serious concern the extreme levels of security implemented ahead of President Zuma’s State of the Nation Address reply scheduled for this afternoon.

The President has been in Parliament for the past two days with no incident. Today however, reams of barbed wire have been rolled out around Parliament and a heavy police contingent has been deployed on the precinct without any warning or explanation to party whips.

The continued ad hoc security clamp downs on what is meant to be the People's Parliament at the Presidency’s whim violate the spirit of Parliament’s mandate to serve and remain accessible to the public, and come at a significant and simply unsustainable expense.

The DA will submit parliamentary questions to the relevant national Ministries to determine the exact cost for these security measures and request an urgent Parliamentary Oversight Authority briefing on the matter. 

Statement issued by John Steenhuisen MP, Chief Whip of the Democratic Alliance, 18 February 2016