COPE REJECTS INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN AD-HOC COMMITTEE ON NKANDLA

The Public Protector is empowered by national legislation and Chapter 9 of the Constitution to investigate any conduct in state affairs, or in the public administration in any sphere of government, that is alleged or suspected to be improper.

On the 19th of March 2014, Adv. Thuli Madonsela released the report on an investigation conducted into allegations of impropriety and unethical conduct relating to the installation and implementation of security and related measures at the private compound of President Zuma at Nkandla. Despite her patience with and respect for the Office of the President, the first citizen dismissively delayed the investigation, either ignored or provided sloppy responses to some of the questions posed to him and laid to bare his unfaithful relationship with the truth. Frankly, President Zuma is so dishonest, we can't even be sure that what he is telling us are lies!

Instead of setting a proper example as the custodian of our constitution and commence with the implementation of the remedial action, the President spend his time to engineer a cunning plan to outwit the Public Protector while standing by as his lieutenants unleashed an unprecedented, often personal attack on the integrity of Adv. Madonsela. SECURE IN COMFORT is a meticulous 450 page body of evidence confirming to South Africans what we suspected all along.

Almost a month after the release of the report, the hardest thing to understand is the glaringly evident which President Zuma has conveniently decided not to see.

The President's saving grace was the excessive kindness of Adv. Madonsela. She could have been the final chapter of his political career, but she found although he lied to Parliament, he may not have had the intention to do so.

In the light of the above, the Congress of the People decided to turn down the courtesy of the Speaker for inviting us to take part in an ad-hoc committee that Parliament will establish to "process" the Public Protector's report on the investigation into the President's compound. COPE is of the opinion that the implementation of this Chapter 9 institutions' remedial action should not be circumvented by any institution, including Parliament.

The Public Protector's order is that Zuma must pay for the non-security upgrades at his private dwelling which include the visitors' center, an amphitheater, a swimming pool, a cattle kraal, a culvert, a chicken run and extensive paving.

The sequence is not logical and President Zuma must first comply with the findings and the order which cannot be equal to or being override by the SIU investigation.

By participating in an ad-hoc committee, which will certainly be packed with a majority of President Zuma's most loyal batsmen, a dangerous precedent will be created to which the Congress of the People cannot be party to.

At this time, our participation in a committee of this nature would be tantamount to assisting President Zuma avoiding his responsibility to uphold the constitution.

We remain resolute that Mr. Zuma's conduct is not dissimilar to that of a person who came in possession of stolen goods, but refuse to return it to the rightful owners, the taxpayer.

Statement issued by JJ (Johan) Abrie (MPL), Congress of the People national spokesperson, April 11 2014

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