President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2023 state of the nation address got off to a rocky start as members of parliament were ejected from the Cape Town City Hall and journalists were harassed and blocked by riot police from interviewing the ejected member’s of parliament on February 9.

Vuyolwethu Zungula from the African Transformation Movement (ATM) was the first MP to be ejected. ATM was the party who proposed the motion of no confidence in Ramaphosa in December 2022 after allegation of money laundering arose at President Ramaphosa’s personal Phala Phala game form.

As the EFF walked out of the City Hall a female journalist was manhandled by riot police. She was pushed to where journalists were being held back by armed riot police.

Next to be ejected was Julius Malema and MPs from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). The EFF had raised several points of order before Ramaphosa started his address. Riot police at first prevented the EFF members from being interviewed by journalists and after a brief scuffle Julius Malema led his MPs to the media to be interviewed.

Cape Town, 9 February 2023 - President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2023 state of the nation address got off to a rocky start as members of parliament were ejected from the Cape Town City Hall and journalists were harassed and blocked by riot police from interviewing the ejected member’s of parliament.

Vuyolwethu Zungula from the African Transformation Movement (ATM) was the first MP to be ejected. ATM was the party who proposed the motion of no confidence in Ramaphosa in December 2022 after allegation of money laundering arose at President Ramaphosa’s personal Phala Phala game form.

As the EFF walked out of the City Hall a female journalist was manhandled by riot police. She was pushed to where journalists were being held back by armed riot police.

Next to be ejected was Julius Malema and MPs from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). The EFF had raised several points of order before Ramaphosa started his address. Riot police at first prevented the EFF members from being interviewed by journalists and after a brief scuffle Julius Malema led his MPs to the media to be interviewed.