• EFF MP Khanya Ceza has been referred to the speaker after he lied about calling a presiding officer a donkey.
• EFF MP Natasha Ntlangwini called on Minister Lindiwe Sisulu to stop her "egocentric, entitled behaviour".
• Sisulu called the DA "representatives of murderers and oppressors".

EFF MP Khanya Ceza will be referred to National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise after he called acting House chairperson Richard Dyantyi a donkey and then lied about it at a sitting in July.

ANC MP Dyantyi was presiding during Wednesday's question session with the ministers of the social cluster when he referred back to a sitting of 29 July, when he was also presiding.

It is at that sitting that Ceza called him a donkey.

DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone raised a point of order, and then, when Ceza was asked if he indeed had called Dyantyi a donkey, he said he called him a "tonkey", which, according to Ceza, is a person worthy of praise.

Dyantyi said he referred to Hansard - the record of everything said during a parliamentary sitting - and found Ceza had used the word "donkey" to describe him.

'Tonkey'

He also consulted various dictionaries and did not find a definition for "tonkey" that fitted the description provided by Ceza.

News24's own research into the word revealed that, according to the Urban Dictionary, it is Liverpudlian slang for a condom, among other less than flattering meanings. 

Dyantyi ordered Ceza to withdraw his remark.

"Obviously, we were not reading from the same, but I withdraw," Ceza responded.

DA MP Geordin Hill-Lewis rose on a point of order, saying it is "extremely unparliamentary" to mislead the presiding officer.

Dyantyi said he was not yet finished with his ruling, adding it was worth noting Ceza had chosen to go on record and "chose to deliberately mislead" the House and chairperson.

Contempt

He added this was contempt of Parliament and he would refer the matter to Modise to consider whether it required further action.

Towards the end of the sitting, the question of unparliamentary language again reared its head.

In posing a follow-up question to Water, Sanitation and Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, EFF MP Natasha Ntlangwini said Sisulu in answering an earlier question threw "a little tantrum" and she should stop her "egocentric, entitled behaviour".

"I object to that! I object to that!" Sisulu responded.

House chairperson Cedric Frolick allowed Sisulu a point of order.

"House chairperson, I object to those insults that come from the EFF. They are completely unfounded, I don't know where they come from," Sisulu said.

"I want her to withdraw what she has said, absolutely withdraw every word of insult she has said."

Frolick said Ntlangwini used unparliamentary language and must withdraw it.

"Can I also protect myself, chair? What did I say, chair? What did I say?"  Ntlangwini asked.

"We can even send the Hansard to you so that you can read it again," Frolick answered.

He did not say what she had said and insisted that she withdraw. Ntlangwini withdrew and said she wanted to see the Hansard.

Hill-Lewis raised a point of order, saying there was a distinction between unparliamentary language and robust debate, and what Ntlangwini had said was not unparliamentary.

"You can't even repeat what she said, because you didn't hear it," he said to Frolick.

Ruling

"Are you challenging my ruling, honourable member?" Frolick shot back. "I've made my ruling. Please take your seat. You are not presiding in this session, please take your seat."

Ntlangweni then completed her question, again ending with an appeal to Sisulu to stop her "egocentric, entitled behaviour".

Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu then raised a point of order.

This time, Frolick said he did not hear Ntlangwini's remark and asked Sisulu to respond.

"Toughen up!" Hill-Lewis chirped to Sisulu as she started her response.

"You … you represent the people … you represent the people that murdered our people!" Sisulu said, appearing to point at Hill-Lewis. "You do! You do!"

"You're a murderer!" Sisulu said while Frolick called the House to order as several MPs spoke up.

"Umlungu must shut up in the House!" Zulu shouted.

"Shut up, Ginger!" someone responded to Zulu.

"It is what entitlement do," Ntlangwini remarked.

Frolick ordered she be removed from the virtual platform.

DA MP Solly Malatsi raised a point of order, objecting to Sisulu calling Hill-Lewis a murderer.

Frolick, who presided via the virtual platform, said he would liaise with Dyantyi who was still in the chamber, and come back with a ruling.

Sisulu again started to say the DA represented the murderers and oppressors, but Frolick said it was clear there was not enough time to finish the question session and concluded the business of the day.

It was shortly after 18:00, the time the House usually rises on a Wednesday.