MK MPs upset apple cart

Floor-crossings, defections order of day less than 3 months after joining parly.

- Ciaran Ryan

Parliamentary chaos looms as 10 uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) MPs approach court to challenge their sacking by party Jacob Zuma. The MPs believe they were sacked to make room for defecting EFF members. They could now be looking for homes in new parties – opening the parliamentary floor.

Less than three months into the new government of national unity was sworn in, party defections and crossings to new parties appear to be the order of the day.

The 10 were sacked on 7 August by Zuma, ostensibly to make way for defecting EFF luminaries, including Floyd Shivambu, Jimmy Manyi and others rumoured to be likewise about to cross the fl oor.

It’s been speculated that Shivambu is being touted as parliamentary leader of MK.

The sacked MPs, who were sworn into parliament on 22 June, are not going down without a fi ght. The Cape Town High Court case fi led yesterday morning by the 10 could throw parliament into chaos. They are asking the court to review and set aside the decision to terminate their membership of MK and the speaker of parliament’s decision to terminate their membership of the National Assembly.

The sacked MPs are also bringing a second urgent application to interdict the speaker from swearing in their MK replacements in the National Assembly.