Calls for Zuma to step down premature, baseless – Mantashe

Johannesburg – Calls for President Jacob Zuma to step down based on the contents of the Public Protector's State of Capture report are baseless and premature, said ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe.

"[It contains] no binding findings referring to the guilt of any party and only recommends a commission of inquiry," said Mantashe.

He was speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday at the ANC's headquarters, following a meeting of the political party's national working committee (NWC).

Mantashe said the NWC had discussed several issues, including fee protests at tertiary institutions and former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's report.

The report was made public last week following a legal battle over its release. It was initially meant to be made public on October 14, but was delayed by a bid from Zuma to interdict it.

In the report, Madonsela points out that the president may have violated the executive ethics code through his relationship with the influential Gupta family. It is alleged that the Guptas used their ties with Zuma to influence the awarding of state-owned enterprises' contracts and key decisions, such as the appointments of ministers.

Mantashe said, in principle, the NWC supported a commission of inquiry into allegations of "state capture", but that it should be set up like any other judicial inquiry where the president of the country not only appoints the inquiry, but the judge as well.

Madonsela's report recommended that Zuma appoint the inquiry, but not the judge to oversee it.

"As a matter of principle, we support an inquiry into the issue," said Mantashe.

This article first appeared on News24