Parliamentary security forcibly removed the EFF from Parliament in 2017. Image: EWN/ YouTube
At SONA 2017, the EFF took on then president Jacob Zuma in Parliament as he attempted to deliver his State of the Nation Address.
Parliamentary security forcibly removed the EFF from Parliament in 2017. Image: EWN/ YouTube
South Africa president Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver his State of the Nation (SONA) address on Thursday. Analysts, political opponents and business leaders are holding out hope that government has delivered on areas of concern in the country.
Either way, Ramaphosa has enjoyed relative decorum during his SONA speeches since taking office in 2018.
ALSO READ: Julius Malema and EFF MPs suspended from this year’s SONA
In 2023 however, a number of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MPs stormed the stage at Cape Town City Hall. Proceedings were halted to allow security personnel to throw EFF members out. Read more on the incident here.
It bore similarieties to SONA 2017, where the EFF infamously disrupted Ramaphosa’s predecessor, Jacob Zuma’s, speech.
ALSO READ: SONA 2023: A norm? EFF members thrown out from proceedings [watch]
At SONA 2017, the EFF accused Zuma of breaking his oath of office through the Nkandla saga. Speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete attempted to calm matters, to no avail, and ordered EFF leader Julius Malema to leave the house.
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Parliamentary security, also known as the “white shirts”, were eventually called in to remove him and the rest of the EFF MPs. Chaos ensued as punches were thrown, while EFF party members also used their hard hats to pelt security. Watch:
In 2023, Ramaphosa used his SONA speech to address areas of concern in South Africa. This included the energy crisis, cost of living crisis, unemployment and crime and corruption.
ALSO READ: SONA 2024: EFF fails to prevent Parliament from implementing new rules
According to Businesstech, he is also likely to touch on the rail crisis, healthcare reform, income grants as well as announcing an election date.
Being an election year, South Africa will be subjected to two SONAs, with the second delivered by the next president of South Africa (likely Ramaphosa again) after the national vote.
Meanwhile, leading EFF MPs have failed in a last-minute court bid to overturn their suspension from Thursday’s State of the Nation address. Read more on that story here.