Parliament in lockdown following Gordhan’s mini budget speech

Parliament is in complete lockdown with MPs and staff being told not to leave.

Two Democratic Alliance members of Parliament told City Press that MPs received emails from Parliament during Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s mid-term budget speech advising them not to leave Parliament.

Meanwhile, just before 3pm, police fired stun grenades and sprayed waters at the hundreds of #FeesMustFall students protesting outside Parliament gates demanding free education.

The students arrived outside Parliament shortly before 1pm ahead of Gordhan’s speech demanding that Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande address them.

They however handed their memorandum to Gordhan who came out just 20 minutes before delivering the medium term budget policy statement.

Students occupied a large part of Plein Street, which was closed off to traffic and sang and protested peacefully.

It is not clear however, what led to the shooting of stun grenades by the police.

* This article was amended on October 27. The original said that students were demanding a zero percent fee increase, but their demands were for free education.

	Andisiwe Makinana Parliamentary journalist City Press p: +27 11 713 9001 w: www.citypress.co.za  e: Andisiwe.Makinana@citypress.co.za
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