House Chairperson, the EFF has been rightly credited as the central reason why public confidence and focus on the Fifth Parliament has risen. It is the teeth that were restored to the Fifth Parliament for it to bite when it came to holding the executive accountable in this age of parasitic politics and petty bourgeois.
Without the EFF the process for the amendment of the Constitution to allow the historic and revolutionary objective of land expropriation without compensation would have never been realized. This process saw the largest public participation in Parliament processes ever. I think even including since there was a republic in South Africa.
Without the EFF the remedial actions of the Public Protector on Nkandla would have never seen the light of day because Jacob Zuma wanted to ignore them without a successful court review. Why? Because each time Zuma appeared in this House, as long as he did not respect the remedial action, he was faced by a legitimate protest of EFF Members of Parliament, MPs, which
forced him steaming, kicking and screaming to abide by the Public Protector's offices remedial action.
Without the EFF there would have never been a new President of the ANC called Ramaphosa. [Interjections.] In fact there's no new dawn without the EFF. There would have not been a successful removal of Jacob Zuma to pride yourselves with that lousy idea called the new dawn.
Zuma did not resign out of his innocent conscience, he was forced by the central consideration that here in Parliament he would not be able to have peace from the benches of the EFF. [Applause.]
Now, why is this protesting of EFF MPs important? As you know, the apartheid spatial planning makes it hard to sustain mass protest that disrupts the normal life of power in South Africa. Therefore, the people depend on the public representatives within the system to make power uncomfortable, to make the business of power business unusual until they comply with the
law, until they comply with the remedial action of the Public Protector. [Applause.]
Many ANC MPs who are characterized by careerism and an uncontrollable ambition for positions kept quiet here during the Zuma years' administration as he destroyed state institutions. All of you, we're told ... now that many of you may have even been spies by Jacob Zuma. [Laughter.] So, maybe that partly explains some of the behaviour that we saw during the Zuma years. You kept quiet and you were very ... in fact many of you sang for your supper, you sang for your supper.
Without the EFF there would have never been that disjuncture, and that's what the Fifth Parliament will always be known for.
When we put up our protests, like prophets of doom you stood here one after the other like the speaker before me saying the people will reject the EFF, your votes will decrease. Many of you even went on saying we are embarrassing EFF voters; prophets of doom. We are the only major political party that almost
doubled its votes, the rest of you reduced. [Applause.] [Interjections.]
With your comfortable parliamentary mannerism here, our people did not vote for you in the same numbers that they voted for us. Even people who came back as two, who are Chief Whips to whipping their own presidents, they have the audacity to come and tell us how to conduct ourselves, it will never happen. There is nothing that you can do, there is nothing that you will say; you will never tell us how to conduct our revolution. As long as you show contempt to Chapter 9 Institutions, we are going to hold you accountable, the best way we know how. [Applause.] [Interjections.]
Why is Parliament protesting possible? It's not about the rules, it's a protest, we are aware. It is a legitimate protest which is - by the way - a constitutional right. So, we protest because we realise that your rules are made to make power comfortable. Your rules are made to make sure that this place ... these people who steal money, who defy courts come here and have business as usual, so we defy them in protest to show them that
they are not untouchable. [Applause.] [Interjections.] And we make no apology about that.
So, that's what happened here with your Mr Gordhan; now being defended even by the DA. Never show contempt to the Public Protector, it doesn't matter who holds that office, it doesn't matter the incumbent, protect and respect Chapter 9 Institutions or else you are going to be mad with protest here, and we are ready for anything, the army, your hooligans that you call security, we are ready for all of them. [Applause.] [Interjections.]