Small Business Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu has explained her anger during a sitting of Parliament on Thursday, The Sunday Independent reported.

“We’ve been insulted, we’ve been made to feel like there’s absolutely nothing we have done for this country, we’ve been made to feel like we’re just a bunch of useless, corrupt people and we know that that’s not who we are,” she was quoted as telling the newspaper.

“We know and we’ve accepted that we make mistakes, but we’re always accommodating, always tolerant, because we believe this democracy is something that needs us to do that.”

However, she added that it had been difficult to tolerate the heckling and insults that were made in Parliament on Thursday.

“We can tolerate the heckling in the House, but this disrespect, the undermining, the patronising, those things clubbed together — may I just say I am also a human being,” said Zulu.

On Thursday, Zulu was physically restrained in Parliament after an altercation in the hallways outside the chamber.

Tensions rose when Zulu and EFF MP Godrich Gardee started sparring verbally off microphone inside the Chamber.

Zulu signalled to Gardee that they take the matter outside the Chamber.

Zulu stormed into the hallway and was followed by Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini, however Gardee did not emerge from the Chamber.

ANC MPs held Zulu back as she shouted: “Where is he?” in her mother tongue. SAPA