<\/p>\n
Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula says it appears all plans are on track for the State of the Nation Address next week.<\/p>\n
This was after officials from Parliament made a presentation to the programming committee yesterday (Thursday). <\/p>\n
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to deliver the Sona next week. It will be the last address before the elections.<\/p>\n
The presentation in Parliament comes a few days after the High Court in the Western Cape dismissed an application by the EFF to lift the suspension of its leader, Julius Malema, his deputy Floyd Shivambu, party secretary-general Marshall Dlamini and spokesperson Sinawo Tambo.<\/p>\n
EFF MPs Mbuyiseni Ndlozi and Vuyani Pambo are also barred from attending the Sona This follows the report of the Powers and Privileges Committee that they were to be banned from this year\u2019s address by Ramaphosa after they disrupted his address last year February. <\/p>\n
The suspension of the six EFF members came into effect on Thursday after their failed application in court.<\/p>\n
But the EFF has been left seething by the court judgment early this week.<\/p>\n
It said the judgment prevents parties from holding Ramaphosa accountable over the Phala Phala scandal.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe timing of this suspension, specifically choosing February 2024 to exclude our members from the upcoming Sona, is particularly nefarious. This move appears to be a calculated attempt to ensure that Ramaphosa can deliver his final Sona without facing scrutiny from the EFF.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is therefore evident that the ANC-led government is resorting to vindictive measures to silence opposition voices and evade accountability for their failures. Despite these unjust actions, we want to assure the public that all EFF members of Parliament who attend the Sona will continue to hold Ramaphosa accountable for his failures. <\/p>\n
\u201cThese include the rampant unemployment statistics, rising crime rates, gender-based violence, and the Phala Phala farm scandal, which was the primary reason for our initial protest,\u201d said the EFF.<\/p>\n
It said it would continue to hold government accountable on a number of issues.<\/p>\n
Cape Town is expected to be under lockdown ahead of the Sona next week with most of the streets closed.<\/p>\n
The City Hall has been as a venue for the event since the burning of Parliament.<\/p>\n
All members of the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces are expected to attend the event, except the six EFF members who have been suspended by the national legislature. <\/p>\n
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za<\/p>\n
Politics <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula says it appears all plans are on track for the State of the Nation Address next week. This was after officials from Parliament made a presentation to the programming committee yesterday (Thursday). President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to deliver the Sona next week. It will be the last address before the elections. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[12922,536,8130,3807,4786,1037,446],"class_list":["post-208228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-politics","tag-barring","tag-court","tag-decision","tag-eff","tag-leaders","tag-slams","tag-sona"],"yoast_head":"\n