National Assembly (NA) Speaker Baleka Mbete had to order two members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to leave the NA Chamber today when they refused to withdraw comments they made during question time to Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.
During follow-up questions to the Deputy President, EFF leader Julius Malema and Party Whip Floyd Shivambu refused to withdraw comments, which included that Ramaphosa “had blood on his hand”, when asked to do so by Mbete.
On 16 September 1997, the NA adopted the report of an Ad Hoc Committee on allegations against certain members - generally referred to as the “Jana Report”.
This report recommended that “an allegation against a member should only be made by way of a separate substantive motion, comprising a clearly formulated and properly substantiated charge”, and it was subsequently adopted by the NA.
These recommendations, now a standing order, sanctioned the following ruling by Speaker Frene Ginwala which were made on 17 September 1996:
- A member, who wishes to bring any improper conduct on the part of another member to the attention of the House, should do so by way of a separate substantive motion, comprising a clearly formulated and properly substantiated charge.
- Except upon such a substantive motion, members may not impute improper motives to other members, or cast personal reflections on their integrity as members, or verbally abuse them in any other way.
