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Roundup: South African ruling party urges MPs to focus on real issues

Xinhua, February 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

South African ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Tuesday urged MPs to focus on real issues facing the country instead of trading accusations.

The ANC made the appeal as Parliament opened a heated debate on the State of Nation Address (SONA) delivered by President Zuma in the National Assembly last Thursday.

The events that took place during the SONA call on all MPs to step back and reflect, and ask a question about what needs to be done, the ANC said in reference to the disruption of Parliament when Zuma was delivering the SONA.

MPs of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) pressed Zuma with questions over when he would pay back the money laverished on the security upgrades at his private home in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal Province, a project that allegedly cost 246 million rand (about 22 million U.S. dollars) in public funds.

The disruption plunged Parliament into chaos for about 30 minutes, the second time since August last year when EFF MPs created mayhem in the National Assembly by disrupting Zuma during a parliamentary session.

"We witnessed our people's parliament once again, degenerating into chaos," ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe said in a statement issued in Cape Town.

It is the same parliament and podium that late President Nelson Mandela delivered his first SONA 20 years ago and gave hope to millions of South Africans of a better life and a new nation, Mantashe said.

"Parliament represents the hopes and aspirations of our people, who vote their political party of choice to represent them. Members of parliament irrespective of party affiliation have a responsibility to uphold the highest values of our constitution, as the institution mirrors maturing democracy, tolerance and nation building."

The ANC, Mantashe said, once again condemns the jamming of cellphone signals during SONA as this violated the Constitution.

The jamming occurred just before Zuma delivered the SONA, drawing strong criticism from the opposition and the press for suppressing the freedom of speech. No one has claimed responsibility for the jamming.

"Equally, we condemn deliberate effort to disrupt the State of the Nation Address by some members of parliament, as this was meant to deny our people of their right to receive full account of government plans and commitments as presented by the President," Mantashe said.

"These actions have undermined our democracy and the constitution, as well as authority of parliament," the official said.

The ANC makes a special plea to all members of parliament across political divide, to focus on the real issues raised in the SONA, he said.

"Whatever our differences are, we must keep the interest of our country above everything we do," he said.

In the first day of debate on the SONA, the ANC and opposition traded accusations over issues ranging from corruption and unemployment to governance and accountability. Endi