EXTRACT
The mess in parliament lies squarely at the door of the ANC. The EFF is merely taking advantage of the shambles.
Parliament's primary responsibility is to hold the executive accountable. But in its desperate effort to protect Zuma, the governing party reduced parliament to yet another of its tools, to do its bidding. In other words, parliament became accountable to it. Baleka Mbete, the party's chairwoman, became speaker with a clear mandate to protect Zuma. Parliament therefore lost all credibility. People now watch its proceedings not to learn or to follow debates about issues that are central to their lives, but to be amused and entertained. It's something to joke about.