After the altercation, the National Assembly suspended the EFF from Parliament for five working days.
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CAPE TOWN South Africa’s parliamentary protection services forcibly removed members of the ultra-left Economic Freedom Fighters party from the chamber on Wednesday as they attempted to disrupt proceedings ahead of an address by President Jacob Zuma.
The EFF wasn’t happy with Zuma’s presence in Parliament, following two court judgments against him.
EFF MP Natasha Louw warned one of the officers that if they put a finger on her she would lay a charge of sexual assault.
This follows the ruling of a South African court that Zuma should be charged with corruption.
The DA called for Zuma to apologise to the nation.
After the Constitutional Court ruling, the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, failed in a bid to impeach Mr Zuma as the governing African National Congress (ANC) rallied behind him in parliament.
ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu said Mr Zuma had “not been found to have looted anything anywhere, by any court of law”.
The MPs had earlier denounced Mr Zuma as an “illegitimate” ruler who should step down.
In a statement, the DA leader Mmusi Maimane said he consulted with the EFF, FF+, ACDP, Cope, UDM, NFP and PAC and they made the decision to boycott the sitting of Parliament.
On Friday, a High Court judge ruled that Zuma should face 783 corruption charges that had been dropped in 2009 by state prosecutors.
Mr Zuma seemed not to be bothered by the chaotic scenes, and delivered a speech in which he focused on government plans to improve South Africa’s struggling economy.
“Economic transformation remains pivotal to ensuring a better life for all”, he said.
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The EFF said there was evidence that the president had not respected the Constitution.
