THE Gauteng State of the Province Address (Sopa) descended into chaos as members of the legislature threw bottles at each other on Monday, 19 February.
Premier Panyaza Lesufi had just taken to the podium when EFF member Philip Makwala claimed there was “unauthorised militia and battalions” of Lesufi and the African National Congress (ANC), who were inside the building.
He said they were not supposed to participate in Sopa and were clapping their hands.
“We're not going to be intimidated by Mapanyapanya and the military battalion of Lesufi. They are not members of this house, and they're not going to participate. They're supposed to be in the communities and prevent crime as they were deployed to do that. What are they doing here?” he said.
Mapanyapanya or Amapanyaza are crime prevention wardens (CPWs) that were deployed by Lesufi to fight crime in the province earlier in 2023.
Speaker Ntombi Mekgwe asked Makwala to sit down but he resisted.
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“If you are chaotic here, members of the public are going to be chaotic as well,” she said.
She explained that if the people Makwala complained about were inside the red perimeter, he had a right to raise that matter.
She said, however, if they were in the gallery, they were invited.
Someone could be heard shouting “EFF must go”. “You are very desperate”. “Cheap whiskey”.
Fred Nel of the Democratic Alliance claimed that there were three armed guards inside the house and demanded they had to be removed before Lesufi could continue.
“I demand that they be removed now before we proceed. We will not be oppressed with people coming with guns in the house of democracy,” said Nel.
