Ramaphosa strikes deal to stop EFF suspension process

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.