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12 of Malema’s MPs stripped of pay for parliament protest

Economic Freedom Fighters in trouble for heckling Zuma

TWELVE Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MPs began a suspension without pay today for disrupting parliament proceedings in August.

Party leader Julius Malema had led chants of "Pay back the money" during a parliamentary address by President Jacob Zuma, rejecting attempts by the speaker to get them to stop.

The EFF members were referring to the use of about £14 million of state money to upgrade Mr Zuma's rural home in Nkandla, KwaZulu Natal.

Parliament absolved the president of any wrongdoing over the affair earlier this month.

The EFF said that it would fight the suspensions, of between 14 and 30 days, in court.

The sanctions follow a parliamentary committee investigation into the EFF members' conduct. Its recommendations were accepted by the National Assembly on Thursday night.

A further eight of the party's 25 MPs were ordered to apologise to the house and forfeit a fortnight's salary.

Public prosecutor Thuli Madonsela claimed in March that Mr Zuma had "unduly benefited" from the security improvements at his residence and told him to repay money used on non-security features that include a swimming pool, cattle enclosure and chicken run.

The African National Congress chief whip's office welcomed parliament's adoption of the report and the recommendations of the powers and privileges committee that conducted the hearing into the misconduct.

It said that the "highly disruptive and disorderly conduct" had "obstructed the house from performing its scheduled business by conducting oversight over the executive through questions to the president."

The ANC commended the committee for the "thoroughness, justness, fairness and openness with which it has fulfilled its obligations," saying that an outcome of the highest integrity and credibility would withstand the test of any court of law.

"The firm decision taken by the house today sends a strong message that anarchy, disruption, total disregard for the rules of the house and the rulings of the presiding officers cannot be tolerated by parliament."

• EFF member of the North West provincial legislature Papiki Baboile began a 15-year jail sentence yesterday for murder and conspiracy to murder David Chika, former ANC regional secretary for the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district, two year ago.

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