Nkandla ad hoc committee: Speaker must urgently clarify Luthuli House summons

04 May 2014

The DA will request that the Speaker of the National Assembly, Max Sisulu, urgently clarify reports today that senior parliamentary officials were summoned by the ANC, together with himself, to provide an ‘explanation' as to why an ad hoc committee was established to consider the President's submissions to Parliament on the Nkandla matter.

We will demand answers to the following critical questions:

When was the request received?

When did the meeting take place?

Who was present at the meeting?

Did it in any way influence the functioning and mandate of the ad hoc committee?

Did he agree to officials being invited?

Was any sanction or request made to him and/or parliamentary officials by Luthuli House? And if so, what are the details?

It is scandalous that the ANC has sought to interfere so brazenly in the constitutionally mandated functioning of Parliament - which enjoins the National Assembly to hold the executive to account. It is beyond condemnable that when doing so they extended this interference to staff officials - who are in no way required to answer to Luthuli House. This is an outrageous abuse of state resources which cannot be allowed to continue.

According to media reports today the Speaker, Max Sisulu; National Assembly secretary, Masibulele Xaso;  Chief Legal Adviser, Zuraya Adhikarie; and Executive Director in the Speaker's Office, Peter Lebeko, were summoned to Luthuli House following a complaint by Deputy Speaker, Nomaindia Mfeketo regarding the establishment of the ad hoc committee.

It would be outrageous if the Speaker allowed this meeting to take place with officials, when he should have acted in the best interests of Parliament.

This latest incident proves that the ANC was determined - from the get go - to shut down any inquiry into President Jacob Zuma and the spending of over R246 million on his private residence in Nkandla. It also explains why the ANC delayed submitting their names, filibustered when the committee met, and then pushed for it to be shut down as soon as substantive work began.

The DA will not stand by while the ANC abuses yet another institution in its bid to protect President Zuma.

Parliament must act on behalf of the people in fighting corruption and maladministration and not as a rubber stamp by Luthuli House in order to sweep scandals under the carpet.

Statement issued by Lindiwe Mazibuko MP, Parliamentary Leader of the Democratic Alliance, May 4 2014

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