Speaker acts on violent parliamentary disruptions

National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete is determined to take appropriate action on a ‘spate’ of disruptions in Parliament. A TimesLIVE report notes Mbete’s concern comes after violent scenes played out in the Labour Committee meeting on Wednesday. The committee blamed members of the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu)‚ while Saftu complained about how its members had been manhandled. A video of the incident showed fists being thrown and people being forcefully removed from the committee room. Mbete railed against the disruption, but said this was not the only incident. ‘In May 2017‚ a joint meeting of the Standing Committee on Finance and the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry‚ which was hearing public submissions on transformation of the financial sector‚ was disrupted by Black First Land First. The joint committee meeting chairpersons were verbally abused‚ with one also threatened with physical assault‚’ she said. Mbete said that in both these cases‚ the Parliament Protection Services had to be called to intervene. ‘In the wake of (Wednesday’s) disruption‚ the Speaker has instructed that a full report be submitted to her office to ensure that appropriate action is taken. It is unacceptable. We can't allow a situation where certain individuals come to a democratic Parliament just to trample on its constitutional rights and Members of Parliament’s rights to perform their work. We will consider what action is to be taken after studying the report‚’ said Mbete.