Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament (MP) David Maynier was on Tuesday thrown out of the National Assembly after refusing to withdraw his statement that Deputy Minister of Defence Kebby Maphatsoe is an idiot.

"Honourable Speaker, with all due respect, I cannot withdraw that honourable Kebby Maphatsoe, chief cook and bottle washer of MKMVA [Mkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association], is an idiot, because he is an idiot," Maynier said after Grace Boroto, who was chairing the sitting, asked him to withdraw the statement.

Boroto said that if he must leave the House if he did not want to withdraw it. Maynier said he accepted her decision and left.

The drama came after African National Congress (ANC) MP Bheki Radebe objected to Maynier's statement.

"You know you're doing something right when the MKMVA's chief cook and bottle washer, Kebby Maphatsoe, attacks you," Maynier began his statement .

"And it's because we all know that Kebby Maphatsoe says what President Jacob Zuma thinks.

'I will call him an idiot again'

"Yesterday [Monday] Maphatsoe, supported by Des van Rooyen, finance minister with the shortest term in the history of our country, attacked the finance minister."

Maynier said Maphatsoe attacked Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan because Gordhan decided to stand up against looting.

"Now, in the past I called Kebby Maphatsoe an idiot. And I will call him an idiot again. Because in the end we all know the MKMVA's chief cook and bottle washer, Kebby Maphatsoe, is indeed an idiot. And that's the truth."

Minister of small business Lindiwe Zulu was not impressed with Maynier's statement, shouting "Anything black is of course an idiot!" amongst other things.

Earlier, Maphatsoe sat talking next to Van Rooyen, but was not present during Maynier's statement.

Objection from the ANC

Following that exchanges conclusion, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Hlengiwe Hlophe welcomed the reported announcement by the Guptas that they will sell their South African shares, saying the brothers were running away after "the Zupta criminals enriched themselves" and "the Zuptas leave a trail of destruction behind".

Radebe, who sat next to ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu objected once again.

Boroto said Hlophe could only make allegations against Zuma in a substantive motion.

African Christian Democratic Party leader Reverend Kenneth Meshoe also demanded in a statement that South Africans support Gordhan.

When Van Rooyen stood up to respond to the members' statements, the EFF jeered while the DA heckled him constantly. He did not respond to Maynier's statement.

After the time allocated for ministerial answers was up Maphatsoe was again noticed in the House where he sat next to Van Rooyen chatting.