ANC slams DA over request for moment of silence during Sona
ANC denies the DA made a proper request for the silence, and confirms it wants swift action over the EFF’s behaviour as well as answers about military deployment
ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu has slammed the DA over the party’s request, during Thursday’s state of the nation address, for a moment of silence in honour of the 94 psychiatric patients who died after being moved from Gauteng’s Life Esidimeni facility, run by the JSE-listed Life Healthcare group. A fresh row was brewing between the country’s two largest parties over the request, with National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete refusing to allow a 30-second silence just before President Jacob Zuma delivered his address. Mthembu told reporters in Parliament on Friday that the DA chose to use the tragedy to grandstand during the address and did not give him or the speaker any prior indication of their intentions. However, DA leader Mmusi Maimane told a briefing earlier on the same day that the party had requested an opportunity to hold a moment’s silence on the day of the address prior to the ceremony, which also marks the opening of Parliament for the year. Mthembu condemned as "opportun...
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