MPs grill Zuma over chaos during State of Nation address

SOUTH African President, Jacob Zuma, on Wednesday spent his second day on the firing line as Members of Parliament slammed him for chaos during his last week’s State of the Nation address.

During the address armed policemen enter the Chamber to remove opposition MPs.

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader, Mmusi Maimane, stole the show by describing Zuma as “a broken man presiding over a broken society”.

“You are willing to break every democratic institution to try and fix the legal predicament you find yourself in.

“You are willing to break this Parliament if it means escaping accountability for the wrongs you have done,” he said, pointing at Zuma.

He berated the president for laughing during the scuffle in Parliament on Thursday, when MPs were violently removed for insisting that Zuma address the scandal over his private property.

The property underwent a 20 million dollars upgrade with taxpayer’s money.

“You laughed. You laughed while the people of South Africa cried for their beloved country.

“You laughed while trampling Nelson Mandela’s legacy – in the very week that we celebrated 25 years since his release (from jail).

“Honourable President, we will never forgive you for what you have done,” he told Zuma.

Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) President Julius Malema, argued that government projects failed to connect with the undertakings of the Freedom Charter that the ANC is reclaiming this year.

“You shall be known as the president who brought violence to this Parliament… You used hooliganism to silence the opposition,” he said.

United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa recalled how the Apartheid-era government preferred using violence instead of political dialogue, like the security personnel who evicted MPs last week.

Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi said the integrity of Parliament had been shredded by last week’s debacle. (PANA/NAN)