Parliament- A public call in Parliament by Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema on South Africans to illegally occupy land led to disorder in the National Assembly on Wednesday.
Speaker Lechesa Tsenoli warned Malema of his constitutional obligations when the latter proclaimed during the presidency budget debate: "Our people must continue to occupy land. This land belongs to us and if the [African National Congress] ANC wants to kill our people for rightfully claiming their land, do so."
Malema responded angrily, challenging Tsenoli to point out which rule prevented him from calling for illegal land invasions.
"There is nothing you can do. There is nothing this Parliament can do. With or without you, people are going to occupy land. We don't require permission from you, from Parliament, from the president. We don't care," Malema said.
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"Do whatever you want to do, you can withdraw my membership from this useless Parliament."
Tsenoli struggled to maintain order from here on as several EFF members of Parliament (MPs) jumped up repeating the call for land invasions and chanting "occupy land".
An exasperated Tsenoli eventually issued an instruction for the parliamentary security services to intervene, but EFF MPs walked out of the House before they could be removed.