Cape Town - National Speaker Baleka Mbete adjourned proceedings for the day after Economic Freedom Fighters MPs were on Thursday ordered out of Parliament but refused to leave.
EFF MPs refused to move from their places in the National Assembly but by 16:20 began walking out of the chamber, as shown in photos tweeted by News24 reporter Jerusha Raath.
EFF MPs leave parliament singing and chanting. pic.twitter.com/8SxvDK1Ve5
— Jerusha SukhdeoRaath (@JerushaRaath) August 21, 2014
MPs had started returning to the National Assembly but public order police in riot gear had taken their places outside the Parliamentary building.
Despite the MPs returning to the chamber, these guys are staying put. pic.twitter.com/48Tyits3vv
— Jerusha SukhdeoRaath (@JerushaRaath) August 21, 2014
Ministers and even Western Cape police commissioner General Arno Lamoer tried bringing MPs to order outside the chambers.
Proceedings were suspended earlier after EFF MPs started shouting repeatedly “pay back the money!” in reference to President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla upgrades. Mbete’s cries of “order!” were of little use.
As the MPs shouted earlier, a seemingly nonplussed Zuma sat looking on.