Cape High Court grants temporary interdict in favour of #EFF
Cape Town:12H31 23 Dec 2014
http://www.enca.com/south-africa/judge-davis-rules-eff-sanctions
JOHANNESBURG - Judge Denis Davis on Tuesday granted a temporary interdict in the Western Cape High Court preventing National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete from imposing suspension sanctions on EFF MPs.
This follows the EFF's quest for an urgent interdict against sanctions implemented by Parliament against 20 of its MPs.
No date has been set for final judgment on the suspension.
On Friday, Judge Dennis Davis heard arguments from Dumisa Ntsebeza, for the Economic Freedom Fighters, and Willie Duminy, for Parliament, before adjourning court until Tuesday for judgment.
The EFF was seeking relief from the findings of a report by Parliament's powers and privileges committee, which resulted in 20 of its MPs being found guilty of contempt of Parliament.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Duminy said the interdict sought by the EFF contained orders that could only be decided by the Constitutional Court.
Judge Davis's ruling on the conduct of the MPs who were sanctioned for heckling President Jacob Zuma in August is expected later.
The EFF has 25 MPs in Parliament.
Following the National Assembly's adoption of the committee's report, six EFF MPs were suspended for 30 days without pay, six for 14 days without pay, and eight were ordered to apologise to the House and fined 14 days' salary.
The matter originated with the "pay back the money" incident in the National Assembly on August 21 this year, when EFF MPs chanted and banged on their desks, disrupting President Jacob Zuma's replies to questions.
Parliament said in a statement it would wait until Tuesday to comment and would oppose whatever relief the EFF sought.
The ANC said it welcomed the Constitutional Court's decision to dismiss the application by the EFF.
The party said it was confident that no court of law would take seriously "flawed and frivolous litigations of an anarchic grouping".
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