ADV MADONSELA MUST STEP BACK AND ALLOW PROCESSES TO UNFOLD

11 November 2016

The Presidency is concerned about continuing public statements by the former Public Protector Adv Thuli Madonsela on matters relating to President Jacob Zuma and the report entitled State of Capture.

Adv Madonsela has discharged her duties as the Public Protector and has no further role to play in the process regarding the said Report. Her unwarranted public attacks on the President, as happened in Stellenbosch on Thursday, are unbecoming and are not helpful. It would be prudent therefore, for the former Public Protector to step back and allow legal and constitutional processes to unfold unhindered.

The Presidency remains concerned as well by the leaking by Adv Madonsela to television channel ENCA, of her discussion with the President to the ENCA television channel. This conduct has serious implications with regards to ethics, confidentiality and the protection of information gathered during investigations by the Office of the Public Protector. It is also not clear why Adv Madonsela decided to leak only the audio recordings of the discussion with the President despite the fact that she had interviewed several witnesses.

The President urges all parties to act as guided by the Constitution and respect the processes that are unfolding in respect of the Report.

Statement issued by Dr Bongani Ngqulunga, The Presidency, 11 November 2016