Nkandla Submission: Parliament must not accept Zuma's delay tactics
17 July 2014
President Jacob Zuma's latest delay in submitting his full response to the Public Protector's Report on the Nkandla matter is unacceptable and without any basis.
According to the Presidency, President Zuma is still "seized with preparing the report". The statement issued by The Presidency provided no clear reasons for the delay.
The Public Protector, Adv Thuli Madonsela, submitted her report to Parliament on the 19 March 2014 and as such the President was mandated to provide a full response to Parliament within 14 days. He failed to do so.
Following the lapse of that deadline, the President communicated that he would await the completion of the SIU's investigation into this matter which was scheduled to be completed within 30 days.
In a letter dated 04 June 2014 the President reported that he had received a provisional report from the Head of the SIU, Adv Soni, which he said had "provided me with insight I require in order to give consideration to the matter."
The President, in that letter, went on to inform the Speaker that he would be able to provide a "comprehensive and final" report within 30 working days. 30 working days from 04 June was yesterday, 16 July 2014.
Therefore, more than 3 months later, Parliament has still not had a full explanation from the President.
This cannot be tolerated. I will therefore be writing to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, to urge her to reject this delay and make it clear to the President that his submission is overdue and must come to Parliament immediately. I have already requested clarity from her as to what steps she will take to ensure that this happens.
Should she fail to do so, she will be complicit in a cover-up to shield the President from accountability, and will undermine the integrity of this fifth Parliament - just two months into its existence.
It is time for Parliament to flex its muscles and to make it clear that it will not be messed around for a day longer.
Statement issued by James Selfe MP, Chairperson of the DA's Federal Executive, July 17 2014
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