Millions across the country watched President Jacob Zuma’s 10th state of the nation speech. It wasn’t so much the speech they were interested in, but what would happen in the inevitable confrontation between Julius Malema’s Red Overalls and the White Shirts, Parliament’s private bouncers. For the viewers, the show was not disappointing: more visceral, more violent and more emotional than before as the EFF insulted Zuma to his face, calling him a criminal and an "incorrigible man, rotten to the core". When their violent eviction finally came, the EFF gave as good as they got, swinging punches and hard hats, throwing bottles and damaging property on their way out. The EFF’s tactics — disruption, chaos and violence – are doing enormous damage to the institution of Parliament. Given our history, the democratic Parliament should symbolise all that South Africans fought for in defeating apartheid. While those who sit on its benches represent different and often opposing interests, they sh...
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