Parliament – Tight security measures around Parliament and its precinct ahead of Thursday’s State of the Nation address (Sona) have given an indication of a possible stand-off between the government, opposition parties and civil society.
On Wednesday, the Right2Know campaign complained over the tight security measures, saying they deprived civil-society groups the opportunity to protest closer to MPs on Thursday.
The Sona has become an epicentre of an increasing hostile engagement between the government of President Jacob Zuma, opposition parties and civil-society groups.
Right2Know said the refusal to grant it the right to protest closer to Parliament was an indication of the “securitisation of Parliament”.
The organisation said they had been told that any protests would be kept at least 600m away from the national legislature.
Earlier this week, National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete warned that they would be firm in preventing any disruption inside the House this time around.
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This followed threats by Julius Malema’s EFF that the party would “share” the Sona with Zuma unless he answered questions related to his unceremonious axing of Nhlanhla Nene as finance minister.
The DA has made a similar threat, saying Zuma would have to explain his shocking decision, which triggered the rand’s biggest decline in more than four years.
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And with the ANC Youth League entering the fray and threatening a “civil war” over the EFF’s threats, Parliament could be bracing itself for a major showdown.
Mbete said: “To first of all be provocative and irresponsible by publicly saying you’re planning to disrupt the State of the Nation address is something that cannot be referred to as responsible and welcome. To then say there’s going to be a civil war is totally out of order…”
She said the issues between the EFF and ANCYL were currently happening outside the space of Parliament and was political.
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Apart from the DA and EFF’s threats in Parliament, there will be two other groups protesting in the Mother City’s CBD.
City of Cape Town spokeswoman Priya Reddy said this week that the #ZumaMustFall movement had permission for 5 000 participants, while the Ses’khona People’s Rights Movement had permission for 1 500 participants.
But the numbers could be more, as the Ses’khona movement commands huge numbers each time it protests in the city.
The #ZumaMustFall movement will also try to attract big crowds when they protest.
This could lead to a stand-off and another rowdy session on the first day of Parliament.
Parliamentary security and police officers from Public Order Policing are bracing themselves for serious trouble inside and outside the chamber.
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The newly trained former police officers are expected to be called into the National Assembly by one of the presiding officers if trouble starts.
The police will have their hands full on Thursday as three protests have been granted in the city.
Last year, the police had their hands full when they had running battles with DA MPs and party supporters during their protest at Sona. The police have not indicated how many officers would be deployed, but protesters are expected to number in the thousands.
Reddy was quoted as saying that Public Order Policing, National Intelligence, the Presidential Protection Services, the SA Police Service and the City of Cape Town’s traffic services and metro police had all been consulted regarding the protests.
The Mother City was expected to be closed down for the duration of the day, with the formal proceedings set to begin in the evening.
Right2Know said these new security measures were a blow to democracy as they wanted to be seen by MPs and members of the cabinet when they protest.
Since he came to office in 2009, Zuma has broken with tradition by delivering the address at night.
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Sona is attended by MPs, cabinet members, the judiciary, business leaders, trade unions and foreign dignitaries.
Political Bureau
