Statement regarding claims surrounding the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions'' appeal of the judgment of the Honourable Judge Nicholson in the matter of Mr. Jacob Zuma vs the NDPP

The Presidency has noted claims repeatedly advanced by representatives of various organisations to the effect that the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions (NDPP).either consulted or received an instruction from President Thabo Mbeki to appeal the judgment by the Honourable Judge Chris Nicholson in the matter of Mr. Jacob Zuma vs the NDPP.

We would like to state, for the record, that the NDPP neither met nor communicated with the President or any official in the Presidency before making its determination. The NDPP has, as well disputed the claim.

There are several matters of concern arising out of the claim and its constant repetition. They include, but are not limited to the following:

1. No evidence has been provided by those making the claim.
2. The language that some of the proponents have employed is not only damaging to the integrity of the institution of The Presidency and other organs of State, but is also injurious to the dignity and person of the President. The dignity of this office forbids that we quote any of the statements to which we refer. They are, as is well known, daily communicated through the public media.

It impoverishes our society that some resort to the tactic of advancing allegations with no fact to support these. Of grave concern is the growing tendency to hurl insults at organs of State and to present demeaning caricatures of public representatives, the young and in particular the elderly.

Arising from this, the question will have to be answered now - what kind of society are we building, informed by what value system and with what long term effect to the political and overall moral health of the nation?

For instance, does the constitutional right to freedom of expression, licence an assault on the constitutional right to the dignity of persons, a fundamental precept of the indigenous cultural value system of Ubuntu?

Does the freedom of expression accord us the right to tell lies?

Statement issued by The Presidency, Union Buildings, City of Tshwane, September 19 2008