Madonsela weighs her options over 'state capture' report interdict

13 October 2016

Pretoria - Public Protector Thuli Madonsela is weighing her legal options after President Jacob Zuma applied for an interdict to stop her from releasing her "state capture" report.

Madonsela was expected to release the report on Friday, as she officially leaves office after a seven-year tenure.

Her spokesperson, Oupa Segalwe, said on Thursday afternoon that the Public Protector had not yet decided how she was going to deal with the application, but was consulting her legal team.

"There is no interdict, just notice of intention to apply for one," Segalwe said.

The application is due to be heard on Tuesday in the High Court in Pretoria.

Madonsela is probing whether Zuma had any role in allegations that "his friends", the Gupta family, had offered Cabinet posts to Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas and former MP Vytjie Mentor, as well as allegations that the family pressured former Cabinet spokesperson Themba Maseko to give them government tenders.

All three have confirmed the moves made on them by the powerful family and have given evidence to Madonsela.

Zuma this week demanded that Madonsela give his lawyers access to the witnesses, and questioned her "hurry" to release the report.

The Gupta family also warned her to release the report at her "own peril".

Shortly before the news broke, EFF leader Julius Malema confirmed that he has also made submissions to the Public Protector.

"Zuma saw the dark clouds gathering from March when he received questions. What is so urgent now?” asked Malema.

The EFF leader said he didn’t believe a court would grant permission to anyone seeking to stop the report from being released.

This article first appeared on News24, see here.