RUCKUS IN THE HOUSE
Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan urged to address five challenges in his speech today
President Jacob Zuma looks on as security members clash with an EFF member, believed to be Vusiwana Emanuel Mtileni, in the National Council of Provinces yesterday. EFF members were evicted by chairwoman Thandi Modise after they refused to allow Zuma to be heard. Zuma was due to answer questions on the economy and the charges against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.
FORMER ANC MP Vytjie Mentor has joined a chorus of voices urging the Office of the Public Protector to release its state capture report, after a court application by President Jacob Zuma to quash it.
And Mentor is concerned that if Zuma succeeds in his application, it could set a dangerous precedent.
Yesterday, Mentor filed papers in the Pretoria High Court seeking to intervene in the president’s application to prevent the report’s release. She again placed on record her knowledge of a corrupt relationship between Zuma and the Gupta family.
The report, by former public protector Thuli Madonsela, documents the outcome of an investigation of allegations that the Guptas and their companies have undue influence over Zuma. In her affidavit, Mentor claimed that she was offered the position of public enterprises minister by one of the Guptas in exchange for influencing SAA to drop its routes to India. This would allow an airline in which the Guptas invested to take over the routes. When she rejected the offer, Mentor says, the president told her: “It’s okay, ntombazana (girl), you have come such a long way on crutches.”
“As far as I am aware, I am the only person (to have made a public statement) that this happened with the president’s knowledge and approval,” she wrote.
After being interviewed by Madonsela, Mentor posted a Facebook message, saying: “Dear Zuma, I spoke to the PP. I revealed things about you. You and your folly relationship with the Guptas through your son (Duduzane) … I am not scared of you, of your lies, of your tricks, your delaying tactics, your attempted intimidation, your harassment and what you normally do to people.”
According to her affidavit, her Facebook account was hacked two days later and blocked.
In his application, Zuma requested the opportunity to question all those interviewed by the public protector, and for two more months in which to answer questions.
Mentor argues that this would set a precedent that would discourage whistle-blowers.
IF HE were to interfere in the prosecution of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan on fraud charges, South Africa could become a banana republic, President Jacob Zuma said yesterday.
Responding to questions in the National Council of Provinces, Zuma said that, as president, he could not interfere in court processes.
“No individual is given a right … to interfere with independent processes and decisions of independent institutions,” he said.
“I think if this president was to interfere in any matter, either of chapter nine institutions or other institutions, then it would be close to a banana republic.”
He also defended his decision to interdict former public protector Thuli Madonsela from releasing her report on state capture, saying she did not give him the opportunity to present his side of the story.
Zuma’s insistence that Parliament be relocated from Cape Town to Pretoria because of costs has been backed by the ANC in the Chamber. He said studies had been conducted on the costs of keeping two capital cities, and this was not financially viable.
Zuma said the decision to move Parliament from Cape Town to Pretoria lay with the institution itself. MPs had to debate the matter and come up with solutions, but he warned that the decision had to be taken urgently.
The National Treasury was looking at the financial implications of this.
The Department of Justice was looking at the legislative requirement while the Department of Transport was looking at the logistics and transport implications.
The police were looking into the safety and security aspect.
Public Works is the lead department in investigating the matter.
Zuma warned MPs that cabinet members had to keep two houses and cars in the two capitals, and it was costly to move them around with their support staff all the time.
On his matter with Madonsela, he said he was exercising his right to interdict the report by the former public protector.
The current protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, has refused to oppose Zuma’s application in the high court to block the release of the state capture report.
Zuma said he was within his rights to contest the report in court.
“As a citizen of this country I have a legal right to exercise my right.
“I interdicted it because she was going to issue a report without talking to me,” he said of Madonsela.
The matter will be heard in the Pretoria High Court next week, Tuesday.
Turning to Gordhan, he said they supported him fully, and this was the decision of the cabinet last week.
Gordhan is due to table his medium-term budget policy statement today.
He acknowledged the massive support Gordhan had received from business, religious leaders and civil society.
“The support is being expressed because of the belief in the rule of law and in the fact that the minister has not been found guilty of any crime,” he said.
He said Gordhan remained innocent until proved otherwise.
Gordhan will appear in court a day after Zuma has faced the high court on his interdict against the release of the state capture report.
Opposition parties have joined as intervening parties in court to stop Zuma’s attempts to block the release of the report.