Nkandla report: The DA will continue to press for the establishment of an ad hoc committee

11 June 2014

In today's Parliament Announcement, Tablings and Committee Reports document (ATC) President Jacob Zuma confirmed that he has received the Provisional Report requested from the Head of the Special Investigations Unit regarding the security upgrades at the President's residence at Nkandla.

This confirmation indicates some long overdue progress in the matter. 

However, the following aspects of the President's reply is cause for concern. The President only speaks of his intent to produce a "comprehensive and final report within the next 30 working days". He has not made a definite commitment to the 30 working day deadline and could presumably indicate that he needs more time at a later date, prolonging the matter even further.

Furthermore, the 30th working day would fall on 16 July, six days after Parliament is due to adjourn. This scenario would of course mean that if a new ad hoc committee on the President's submissions in response to the Public Protector's report on the security upgrades to his Nkandla residence were to be established, that decision would in all likelihood lie with the new Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete.

Recently, Speaker Mbete's reluctance to establish a new committee has been clearly visible. 

Earlier this week I wrote a letter to The Speaker, challenging her assertion that due to an oversight in parliamentary rules, it was currently the National Assembly's duty to establish a new ad hoc committee. In her subsequent response, Speaker Mbete deflected the matter to the National Assembly.

The DA will not take this lying down. We will continue to fight for the establishment of this committee and finally find out who knew about the R246 million upgrades to the President's private residence.

Statement issued by James Selfe MP, Chairperson of DA Federal Executive, June 11 2014

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