Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, has acknowledged that she is aware of a request from the Economic Freedom Fighters that the Assembly should debate the legitimacy of President Jacob Zuma Thursday night, instead of allowing the State of the Nation Address to go ahead.

EFF chief whip, Floyd Shivambu says this request was made in a letter to Mbete.

Shivambu says they will again request the debate, but the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Thandi Modise, says on the day of SONA, no other business is allowed.

“I want to emphasis it is his agenda, we agree that there is no others item on the agenda of the day, but the agenda of the President. So if would be inappropriate for any other member to change that” says Modise.

Shivambu says it will keep to the Rules of Parliament during this evening’s State of the Nation Address.

“We are going to rise up and ask the speaker that we want to debate issue of legitimacy 1 of President and 2 legitimacy of this Parliament. Even this parliament violated the Constitution. It’s not a secret and we will do it in the confines of the rules of Parliament like we always do. We don’t disrupt”