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S. African president Zuma disrupted while delivering address

Xinhua, February 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

South African President Jacob Zuma was disrupted several times on Thursday while delivering his State of Union Address in Parliament.

Zuma kept speaking while opposition MPs continued to call a point of order, pressing the president to answer questions regarding certain issues.

Parliament Speaker Baleka Mbete accused the disrupting MPs of abusing the right of democracy.

The joint sitting of Parliament was delayed for half an hour before Zuma took the podium.

Opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mumsi Maimane intervened, calling for the sitting to continue as the whole nation was watching.

As Zuma was speaking, chaos erupted again when some MPs ranted from different seats inside the House.

Mbete asked the MPs to cooperate or leave the chamber. Mosiuoa Lekota, leader of Congress of the People (COPE), left the chamber after failing to get Zuma asnwer questions in relation to the Nkandla debacle, in which Zuma is accused of abusing public funds in revamping his private home in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal Province.

Then all MPs of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) were ordered to withdraw from the chamber.

It was the first time since the end of apartheid that a president has been disrupted while delivering the SONA.

Before the sitting, chaos erupted outside Parliament. Police fired stun grenades at protesters to disperse them. Enditem