Urgent application against National Assembly sitting tomorrow struck off roll
The Western Cape High Court today struck off the roll an urgent application by Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to interdict the National Assembly Speaker from taking certain actions during tomorrow’s question session to the President.
President Jacob Zuma will give oral replies to questions from Members in the National Assembly (NA) tomorrow at 14h00.
Judge Ashley Binns-Ward struck off the application on the basis that it was not urgent. The EFF had also sought the court to interdict the Speaker from inter alia, “unlawfully physically ejecting any member of the applicant from the premises of the National Assembly”.
As an alternative, the Party sought to have tomorrow’s appearance by the President in the National Assembly postponed until such time that the Speaker has given the Court an assurance that there would be “no physical violence of any sort perpetrated against members of the opposition, for anything said in the National Assembly.”
When the EFF wrote to the Speaker on 11 May, seeking certain undertakings, the office of the Speaker had indicated that she and all other Presiding Officers have always acted in terms of the Rules and Orders of the Assembly and will continue to do so.
