ANC's apparent double standards

16 October 2014

The Democratic Alliance contends that the double standards of the ANC in Parliament is setting Parliament up to fail at equality of accountability.

This comes as the ANC on the Powers and Privileges Committee prosecuting the EFF for disrupting Questions to the President, has acceded to a request by Opposition Parties to call witnesses to appear before it.

Yet the Nkandla Ad Hoc Committee was blocked from the same outcome of calling witnesses, by the ANC.

The Powers and Privileges Committee today agreed to this request citing that "The calling of additional witnesses is to enable the Committee to get a holistic picture of the charges and transgressed rules which will enrich Committee members during deliberations."

It is for this very same reason that the DA, supported by other Opposition Parties, called for the Public Protector, Adv. Thuli Madonsela, President Jacob Zuma and other relevant witnesses to appear before the Nkandla Ad Hoc Committee.

The ANC are using the process of accountability as a political tool against those who disagree with them, rather than using it as a remedial mechanism. They have chosen to place politics before the interest of South Africa.

This is a clear case of double standards, where the process of accountability applies to some but President Jacob Zuma, who is at the centre of the R246 million Nkandla scandal.

I have requested that DA Chief, Whip John Steenhuisen MP, raise this serious matter of double standards at the next Chief Whip's Forum in Parliament.

The DA maintains that until President Zuma fully accounts to Parliament, the true work of the Nkandla Ad Hoc Committee can never be done.

Statement issued by Mmusi Maimane MP, DA Parliamentary Leader, October 16 2014

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