Briefing on CAR one month later is an affront to Parliament
The DA has received correspondence from the office of the Acting Speaker of the National Assembly, Nomaindia Mfeketo stating that the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has asked to deliver a Ministerial Statement in Parliament on the current situation in the Central African Republic.
Parliament has scheduled this briefing for the 23 April 2013, an entire month after 13 South African soldiers were killed in the CAR.
This is an affront to our fallen SANDF members and to citizens who expect to see Parliament fulfill its constitutional role of holding the executive to account. It also shows that this matter is not being handled with the urgency it deserves, and that neither President Zuma nor his cabinet are willing to take South Africa into their confidence on an issue of national importance which is mired in controversy.
This was evident yesterday when President Zuma criticised those who have questioned South Africa's involvement in the CAR during a memorial service, which should have been focused on remembering those who lost their lives. When soldiers lose their lives on a mission that was not mandated by either AU or UN; which is alleged to have been embarked upon to defend ANC business interests, a failure to ask tough questions undermines our democracy.
President Zuma must spend more time providing answers about what happened in the CAR, and less time attacking those of us who are trying to get to the bottom of this disaster.
We reiterate our call to him to call a joint sitting of Parliament so that he can provide a full brief as to what happened.
In addition, Parliament must do its job and intervene immediately in this matter. National Assembly Speaker, Max Sisulu must recall MPs from their constituencies to enable a vote on the DA's motion to have our troops immediately withdrawn from the CAR.
The Speaker must also convene a full parliamentary inquiry to establish all the facts of the deployment.
Statement issued by Lindiwe Mazibuko MP, DA Parliamentary Leader, April 3 2013
Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter
