Recently the ANC complained that the nature of EFF objections to some issues in parliament 'undermines the authority of the state'.
If anybody is undermining the authority of the state it is the ANC. Statements by ministers that the security cluster which includes the army is going to be deployed to 'deal' with any disruptions of parliament is a clear threat meant to intimidate opposition politicians into not asking questions that the ANC does not want asked.
Clearly the provisions of the constitution, to allow representatives of the people to object to actions of the executive, are being made subordinate to the wishes of the ANC not to be embarrassed. Parliamentary rules should never ever be used to shield a sitting president from robust scrutiny.
The speakers of the various houses are very loyal ANC functionaries. If an MP makes a statement or asks a question that they don't like they quickly order them out. If the MP objects, ministers who are also very loyal ANC functionaries are now promising to deal with them violently.
These party functionaries are using a benchmark, respect, that is not defined or required by any law.
I cannot imagine in what way these threatened actions will enhance democracy. The only likely effect is that they will silence vocal opponents. Nothing can be more anti-democratic than silencing vocal opponents. If the EFF are undermining the state, charge them with treason, not chuck them out of parliament.
A loud ruckus over controversial issues is quite normal in a properly functioning democracy. In India parliament recently had to be adjourned early after opposition MPs kept loudly objecting to the dropping of a motion condemning Israel's actions in Gaza. The ruling party had connived, using its majority, to have the motion dropped from the agenda.
In my native Zimbabwe proceedings often come to a stand-still as MPs sing opposing songs or engage in shouting matches. MDC member of parliament now exiled in South Africa, Roy Bennet, once went to the extend of shoving Zanu-PF minister, Patrick Chinamasa, to the ground. Despite its close alliance with the security forces, Zanu-PF never issued threats like the ANC is doing.
Though, they used their parliamentary majority to have parliament sit as a court and sentence Bennet to 1 year in prison for contempt. That was provided for by the constitution. That episode is often cited as an example of Zimbabwe's lack of democracy.
Other parliaments literally feature MPs engaging in boxing matches and throttling each other. Yet you never hear of armies and the police being called in. Using the armed services to intimidate opposition is a typical characteristic of dictatorships.
The official opposition, the DA, seem to be quite happy to tag along with the ANC against the EFF. It looks like they think that if the ANC gets rid of the EFF then their own position as number two will be secure.
They are doing a disservice to South Africa's democracy by choosing to be an ANC poodle. In a democracy, the security services should never ever be used to evict objecting MPs. That defeats the spirit of democracy.
Showing respect to an establishment, especially a corrupt one, is not a requirement in democracy.
I do not know what respect the ANC are demanding. They are the ones who chose to be led by a man with scandals hovering around him like flies. A constant stream of controversy is an obvious consequence of such a choice. It does not require a PhD degree, even a fake one, to figure that out.
Here are the facts beyond dispute. The man admitted impregnating the daughter of a family friend. Despite claims that it was his culture and he had done nothing wrong, he had to pay a fine in terms of that culture. A fine in any culture is an admission of guilt.
He had unprotected sex with the HIV positive friend of his own daughter. The girl ended up accusing him of rape. He caused an outcry when he admitted that his only precaution during that episode was to take a shower after the sex.
Imagine Barrack Obama being allowed to serve after admitting to impregnating Jesse Jackson's daughter and to having sex with Malia's friend.
A close friend and adviser of the man was convicted of corruption related charges. When pronouncing the conviction, a judge said that the two clearly had a corrupt relationship.
The ruckus, over which opposition MPs are being threatened, is again corruption related.
Nearly 250 million Rands were spend on a collection of building, which even if they were placed in a high-end suburb like Saxonworld or Cape Point, it is difficult to imagine that they would be valued at over 50 million Rands. Four similar if not bigger properties belonging to the man's friends in Saxonworld, the Guptas, were last year valued at a combined value of only 35 million rand.
In the engineering profession, consultation services are normally pegged at between 1 and 6 percent of the value of a project and almost never go above 20%. What kind of professional services were offered that would cost nearly 400% the physical value of the project. It stretches imagination and boggles the mind.
The ANC are trying to use their majority to reduce parliament to a rubber stamp. They want to brush opposition objections aside in the name of respect. We know the objections are little more than tokens of protest, rather than effective checks and balances. The ANC will likely use its majority to smoother them.
Now the ANC want to silence even those tokens of protest. Clearly they are worried that the constant highlighting of their deficiencies is going to cost them votes in future. In my opinion, that is the main motivation for their threats, not upholding the dignity and authority of the state. They are trying to contain the negative news constantly hovering around their leader through badgering the opposition from raising the issues.
If the succeed, South African democracy will be walking with one leg broken. South Africans need to the think very carefully on whether the struggle going on in parliament at the moment is the ANC versus the EFF. It may be the ANC versus democracy.
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