National Assembly must condemn Minister for not tabling "Guptagate" report

I have requested the Secretary to Parliament to place a motion on the National Assembly's Order Paper asking it to condemn the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Jeff Radebe, for not tabling  the ‘Guptagate' report in Parliament.

It is unacceptable that the Minister released a copy of the report to the media without having also formally presented it to Parliament, and that this was done deliberately during the debate. This disabled Members of Parliament from engaging with its contents and in doing so limited their ability to hold the executive accountable.

Ministers must not play politics with Parliament's constitutional role to oversee executive action. A report of such a serious nature, which Parliament was in the process of considering, should have been tabled for scrutiny before the debate. Instead it was maliciously distributed while the debate was in process.

I will write to Minister Radebe to request that he now correct this abuse of Parliament by tabling the report in Parliament and that an appropriate committee be asked to engage with its contents and verify the information contained within it. This must include summoning President Zuma, referred to as ‘number one' in the report, for an explanation.

I will also be seeking the support of all Chief Whip's for this motion and for the tabling of the report for scrutiny, including that of ANC Chief Whip, Dr Mathole Motshekga 

We must not allow such treatment by the executive to set a precedent for the future. The National Assembly must collectively condemn the Minister and assert its authority as an independent arm of state.  

Statement issued by Watty Watson MP, Democratic Alliance Chief Whip, May 24 2013

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