Hon Maimane, we have heard your point of privilege raised under Joint Rules 14. We have indeed repeatedly called members during this Joint Sitting to heed the call to take their seats and to withdraw. We sent in the Usher of the Black Rod and the Serjeant-at- arms, but they were all defied.
We then moved on in terms of the Powers, Privileges and Immunities Act to call on the security services of Parliament to come in. We are also empowered by the same Act to ensure that we can escalate this and ask for security, whichever security, to act in support of public order policing. I think, hon members, we should allow this House to do its business.
I think that we have called for a Joint Sitting of Parliament - it was not even convened by the Speaker and the Chairperson of the NCOP. It is convened in terms of a request raised by the President for a specific reason, to come and give the nation, ourselves and the international community the state of the nation address. I think we should be allowed, hon members, to proceed with the business of the day.