Legal expert Advocate Modidima Mannya says the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) should have participated in a hearing instead of heading to court over proceedings into the conduct of six MPs who stormed the stage during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) in February.

The EFF will also challenge the proposed penalties that will be imposed on its MPs. They include suspension from Parliament without pay for the entire month of February next year. The EFF’s case is expected to be heard in the Western Cape High Court today. Mannya says the party could have chosen another route.“It is unfortunate because, in this instance, the EFF has elected not to participate in the proceedings, and elected to approach a court of law. These again drag the judiciary into the disputes within Parliament, exposing the judiciary to the ongoing attacks which, some of them, come from members of Parliament.”“In my view, the EFF should have participated in the process from start to finish, ensure that it raises whatever concerns it has so that it is easier for us to determine the rationality of the decisions of the committee,” adds Mannya.