Ramaphosa during Parliament question time: 'Honourable deputy speaker, I feel abused'

CAPE TOWN - The presence of personal protectors in the National Assembly chamber derailed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s question time in the house on Tuesday.

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) members of Parliament (MPs) disrupted proceedings for more than half an hour, demanding an explanation for the personal protectors' presence in the public area of the chamber, causing the session to end without all the set questions being answered.

After maintaining his calm throughout, the president’s patience also eventually wore thin. 

The lack of a venue big enough to accommodate all parliamentarians during a plenary session once again impacted the work of the National Assembly as the presence of personal protectors seated close to African National Congress (ANC) MPs in an area not visibly demarcated for the public unsettled the EFF caucus,  which raised successive points of order over armed security on the chamber floor.

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One by one, the party’s MPs were removed from the house and muted on the virtual platform by deputy speaker Annelie Lotriet for the contempt she said was being displayed towards her during the disruptions.

"Honourable Mente, please leave the chamber. Sergeant-at-arms, please assist Honourable Mente. You are now in serious contempt. Honourable Khawula, please leave the chamber.”

The interruptions meant Ramaphosa was unable to finish answering the set questions in the allotted three hours as the EFF’s Sinawo Thambo heckled back at him. 

“Honourable deputy speaker, I feel abused. I honestly feel abused," said Ramaphosa 

Tambo replied to the president, saying, “You didn’t feel like that when Trump was abusing you in the White House. Why didn’t you feel abused in the White House? You are feeling abused by your own people.”

Lotriet said she would refer the matter to parliament’s powers and privileges committee for what she said was a serious legal infringement for interfering in the business of the house. 

The disruptions meant the president was not able to take supplementary questions on the country’s diplomatic efforts to stop Russia’s war in Ukraine, nor to answer the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party’s question about the impending inquiry into truth and reconciliation cases.