Hardly likely! Given Julius Malema’s predilection for spectacle, theatre and outrageous comments this year’s SONA is likely to be accompanied by some form of ructions in Parliament. The ostensible intention will be to embarrass the ANC and Jacob Zuma in particular. With the TV cameras and the world’s media in attendance, what does the natural populist and showman that is Malema have up his sleeve?

Like most South Africans, in previous years I did not even listen or read about it. All that every year’s SONA appears to be is a series of platitudes and a plethora of promises all of which will not be actioned.

Unlike prior years, this year’s SONA is eagerly awaited. The EFF is already planning and justifying their strategy. An article by an EFF MP the other day justifying their decision to press Zuma during the SONA to repay the money was surprisingly mature and without political cant. In essence the message was that the SONA was primarily the opening of Parliament at which the President has to account for their actions, progress on their programs and their governance.

As such a key issue is without a doubt the Nkandla saga. So far the ANC has been able to kick for touch, prevaricate and obfuscate rather than hold any senior person to account. The EFF has seized upon this issue as a method of embarrassing the ANC and Jacob Zuma in particular.

Of course the EFF could adopt such an intransigent approach that they could be ordered out of the House. This will be the ultimate spectacular so beloved of Julius. The cameras will be there to capture the ANC’s squirming.

In order to create the spectacle without its members being forcibly removed from the House, there is a raft of other actions that they could take which could serve the same purpose.

Before the EFF even enter the House, they could carry banners proclaiming that Zuma must “Pay back the Money.” Together with this they could chant their message as well. Any scuffles arising would again be captured on TV or Cellphone cameras. At some point they will be ordered to remove their banners and desist from carrying them into the House.

The permutations in this regard are endless.

If I were them, I would wear clothes emblazoned with the words “Pay back the Money”. It would be ludicrous to make the EFF members remove their clothes in public.

With years of training in the methods of the ANC, the EFF could bus in their supporters to cause mayhem and to pack the Public Galleries. Like the ANC and the Unions, the EFF can claim that these were agent provocateurs and not EFF Supporters. At the worst, the EFF is able to cut proceedings short without too much effort. All that is required is for each member in turn to become obstreperous and truculent. If every member in turn spends 10 minutes purposely goading the Speaker Baleka Mbete until she is obliged to expel them from the House, proceeding will be severely disrupted.

EFF MP Ndlozi wrote a surprsingly mature piece for the Star last week

I have no doubt that tempers will become flared as the ANC is placed on the defensive.

By all accounts, Baleka Mbete will be unable under duress to exercise self-control and is likely in the heat of the moment to further embarrass the ANC.

Some can claim that the actions of the EFF are transforming Parliament into theatre and disrupting its function.

On the contrary with the effectiveness of Parliament already in tatters, would disruption compound the problem?

I strongly doubt it.

So let the fun begin.

And as they say in the classics, “May the best man win.”