State Capture: DA to lay criminal charges of perjury against “grossly remiss” Zuma
13 December 2017
The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes today’s ground-breaking judgment by the North Gauteng High Court, dismissing President Zuma’s spurious attempt to review the Public Protector’s State of Capture report, and its binding recommendations. This means that the report stands, and confirms that the President must at once establish a Judicial Commission of Inquiry into “State Capture” - as ordered to by the Public Protector. The commission must be headed by a judge selected by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, established within 30 days, and has 180 days to complete its work.
As the original complaint in this matter, we remain focused on ensuring the Judicial Commission of Inquiry is promptly established, and that the well-known allegations of “State Capture” are interrogated and investigated, and justice is served. The President cannot continue to shield himself, his friends, and his family from accountability.
Today was important victory for the rule of law, and the people of South Africa. This damning judgment by a court of law shows once again that Jacob Zuma is hell-bent on protecting himself, his cronies, and their interests – while breaking the law and trampling on the constitution. Jacob Zuma is unfit to lead and unable to adhere to the highest law of the land.
The Court also made several other substantial findings, including that the President’s conduct in trying to block the release of the Public Protector’s State of Capture Report was an “abuse of judicial process” and an attempt to “stymie the fulfilment of a constitutional obligation by the Office of the Public Protector”. As such, the Court ordered Zuma to personally pay the legal costs of his failed attempt to interdict the release of the State of Capture report in October 2016 – an historic move by the court. Zuma must also personally pay the costs of the review proceedings, which could total anywhere between R4 million and R6 million.