The Western Cape High Court has dismissed the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)’s urgent application to have Julius Malema and five other MPs attend the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday evening.
This comes after the court heard oral submissions from both the EFF and Parliament’s counsels on Tuesday, with the judgment being handed down on Thursday morning.
The EFF had argued that it was their right to peacefully protest during last year’s SONA and that the sanctions imposed by the powers and privileges committee and the National Assembly were unlawful.
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However, the court ruled against the EFF, marking their third defeat in the courts in just one week.
The party had previously called the decision of the National Assembly to adopt a report recommending the suspensions as unconstitutional, claiming that it gave the majority party too much power.
However, high court judge Kate Savage stated in her ruling that the EFF should have taken the opportunity to reconsider its position after the matter was struck off the roll the first time last week. Instead, the party chose to re-enrol the matter, making only minor changes.
The court also noted that the EFF’s urgent application and its failure to meet certain timeframes was an “abuse of process.”
As a result, the court imposed a cost order on the EFF, similar to their last urgent application to interdict the new joint rules, which will coincidentally be implemented for the first time at Thursday evening’s SONA.
Despite the EFF’s efforts, the Western Cape High Court has dismissed their urgent application, ruling that they do not have the right to attend SONA. This decision highlights the importance of following proper legal procedures and considering the consequences of one’s actions.
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