President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday outlined how his government would work -- co-ordinated, targeted development at the district level with community participation. His speech opening the almost six-hour presidency Budget vote debate was what should have been delivered in June's State of the Nation Address. But Ramaphosa was let down by his side.

With a nod to Madiba on the eve of the international Nelson Mandela Day, President Cyril Ramaphosa said he was "humbled by the knowledge that we all stand on his gigantic shoulders as we take forward the work he started of building a South Africa that is democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous".

That call to co-operation unravelled fast in the House once opposition parties got to the podium. DA leader Mmusi Maimane's pointed call for Ramaphosa to pay for his own lawyers in the court action over the Public Protector's remedial actions paled against the sustained barrage by EFF leader Julius Malema against "Honourable Jamnadas", a not-quite parliamentary reference to Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan by his middle name.

"You (the ANC) are still traumatised by the influence of the cabal. That is why Honourable Jamnadas is untouchable... We are not scared of him. We are going...