Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has struck a deal with
opposition parties that disciplinary proceedings against the EFF will be held
in abeyance in return for assurances that they will respect parliamentary
rules.
"Are
we going to put these things that happened into abeyance? Yes, because we are
going to find political solutions, collectively as a collective of political
leaders," Ramaphosa said on Tuesday.
"Watch
this space because what we want to do as leaders of our people in South Africa
is to restore Parliament to its standing so that our people can look at all of
us and say, yes, these people do represent us."
Ramaphosa
told media the opposition pledged to respect leaders of government, who would
in turn come to Parliament regularly to account to the legislature and answer
"difficult" questions.
This
came out of a two-hour long crisis meeting between the deputy president and
opposition leaders after riot police were sent into the National Assembly on
Thursday to forcibly remove an Economic Freedom Fighters MP who called
President Jacob Zuma a thief.
"We
have agreed that we are going to create a climate, create a conducive climate
for the executive to be accountable to come and answer questions in
Parliament," Ramaphosa said.
"Saying
that we are going to create a climate so that there is respect, there are no
insults, there is proper decorum in which all members of the executive can come
and answer."
With
this, he appeared to be saying diplomatically that Zuma would heed opposition
calls to return to the National Assembly to respond to questions.
This
was one of the opposition's grievances that drove tension with the ruling party
to breaking point last week.
Zuma
has failed to return to the chamber to complete presidential question time
after he was heckled by the EFF on August 21. MPs demanded to know when he
would reimburse the state for certain additions to his private Nkandla home in
KwaZulu-Natal at taxpayers' expense.
The
Assembly was on Tuesday due to consider a report from the powers and privileges
committee finding 20 EFF MPs, including party leader Julius Malema, guilty of
misconduct charges stemming from that incident.
On
Tuesday morning it was reported that the EFF was planning to seek an urgent
court interdict preventing discussion of the report, which was likely to result
in the suspension of the EFF members from Parliament for up to 30 working days.
By
the time Ramaphosa met Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Mmusi Maimane
and his peers, the item had disappeared off the parliamentary schedule.
Asked
whether assurances had been given at the meeting that the police would not be
called into the legislature again, Ramaphosa said there should be no need to
resort to such a step in future.
"The
calling-in-of-police issue does not even arise once we address all these
matters."
He
added that the independence of Parliament and the impartiality of the Speaker
were a given.
"The
independence of Parliament is an issue that is beyond question. It is enshrined
in our Constitution... so Parliament is a separate independent
institution," he said.
"The
principle that we have all reaffirmed is that the presiding officers in
Parliament must be impartial, they must apply rules consistently, without any
prejudice. They must demonstrate that in reality."
Last
week, Maimane threatened that the DA would stop recognising ANC national
chairwoman Baleka Mbete as Speaker because the opposition saw her as biased.
Ramaphosa
said a committee was being set up to address matters to ensure the "proper
functioning" of Parliament, and last week's events. This included the fact
that the live feed from the chamber was cut when the police entered, something
Ramaphosa said was "of concern".
He
would lead the committee, while Maimane and African National Congress chief
whip Stone Sizani would serve as deputies. The first committee meeting would
take place next week.
"This
committee will address all these matters politically and thereafter give
guidance," Ramaphosa said, adding that he planned to meet opposition
leaders four times a year.
The
opposition members who met Ramaphosa for more than two hours on Tuesday
included Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosutho Buthelezi, EFF MP Khanyisile
Litchfield-Tshabalala, the United Democratic Movement's Bantu Holomisa, the
African Christian Democratic Party's Kenneth Meshoe, the Congress of the
People's Mosiuoa Lekota, and the Freedom Front Plus's Pieter Mulder.
They
were not given an opportunity to address the media at the briefing.
