The first six months of the fifth Parliament was tarnished by "rampant anarchy, disorder, and roguishness", African National Congress (ANC) Chief Whip Stone Sizani said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The unquenchable thirst for headlines by some opposition parties through relentless stunts, rather than substance and robust debates that would take our country and her people forward, has unfortunately seen the regression of this six-month-old fifth parliament," Sizani said in the ANC's parliamentary caucus year end statement.

"All these [stunts] have sought to erode the integrity and the confidence South Africans have in Parliament."

Parliament's rules and the country's laws would ensure that unruly behaviour did not go unpunished, Sizani said.

"The law and rules must be applied consistently, fairly, fearlessly, and without prejudice to protect this institution from decay," he said.

"The recent penalties against 20 EFF MPs, which follows a thorough, open, and fair process, is demonstrative of an institution that is fearless and non-partisan in its enforcement of the rules and the law to protect its integrity."

The ANC would push for the rules to be applied consistently.

"Our rules and laws have teeth and thus must bite. This must be done consistently for as long as such conduct rears its ugly head."

Several sittings of the National Assembly this year have descended into chaos – most notably the August 21 sitting which saw the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) disrupt President Jacob Zuma's question time.

EFF leader Julius Malema and five of his MPs were suspended without pay for 30 days after Parliament's powers and privileges committee conducted a hearing into their conduct. Another six were suspended without pay for 14 days, and eight more were ordered to verbally apologise for their behaviour.

During another sitting in November, the police stormed into the National Assembly to remove an EFF MP who refused to leave the House when she was ordered to do so by the presiding officer.

Four Democratic Alliance MPs and two police officers were hurt during the ensuing scuffle.

The EFF intends taking the suspensions to the Constitutional Court.