ANC confirms that they will go to great lengths to protect Zuma

21 September 2014

The Democratic Alliance notes with contempt the comments by the ANC's National Executive Committee (NEC) stating that they want Parliament to protect President Jacob Zuma and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa from "humiliation and embarrassment". 

This confirms the DA's position that the ANC deployed its Chairperson Baleka Mbete as Speaker to undermine the role of Parliament in holding the Executive to account.

President Zuma was elected by Parliament and is thus accountable to it in terms of Section 92(1) of the Constitution, which states that "Members of the Cabinet are accountable collectively and individually to Parliament for the exercise of their powers and the performance of their functions."

The ANC is not only undermining the sovereignty of Parliament but also the Constitution, which is a worrying trend and a threat to South Africa's constitutional democracy.

The DA requested that President Zuma return to Parliament to answer questions from Members of Parliament, given that he did adequately answer questions in the House on on 21 August, and he did not complete answering the remainder of questions as a result of undue protection from the Speaker.

The ANC has long departed from the values of the Constitution, resulting in institutions like Parliament becoming unmanageable and it being usurped to protect those who no longer respect the Constitution. 

The DA will continue to call for Speaker Mbete to step down, and for a Speaker who will act impartially and for an accountable Executive.

Statement issued by Mmusi Maimane MP, DA Parliamentary Leader, September 21 2014

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