The EFF calls on the national prosecuting authority to criminally charge president Jacob Zuma
26 September 2014
The Economic Freedom Fighters ("EFF") calls on the National Prosecuting Authority ("NPA") to institute criminal charges against the President to the Republic, Jacob Zuma, in respect of the corruption, money laundering and racketeering arising from the extravagant upgrades at his Nkandla compound. The Public Protector found that President Zuma unduly benefitted from the unlawful activities that were carried out, under his watch, at his private residence.
The Parliamentary ad hoc committee on Nkandla has heard from the ANC Members of Parliament that the findings of the Public Protector be reviewed. The EFF rejects this unlawful and unconstitutional attempts by the ANC to protect President Zuma at the expense of the institution of Parliament and a Chapter 9 institution. It is clear that the ANC is participating in the parliamentary ad hoc committee on Nkandla with a sole mandate to defend unlawful acts arising from the so-called security upgrades instead of fulfilling their constitutional duty to hold the executive accountable.
The NPA is pursuing criminal charges against the Nkandla architect, Mr. Makhanya. It is our considered view that there existed a mutually beneficial symbiosis between Mr. Makhanya and President Zuma and they should both be criminally charged. The NPA made a regrettable and costly mistake of not charging President Zuma along with a certain Shabir Shaik a few years ago. That costly mistake should not be repeated. President Zuma is not above the law. He must be held accountable. He has failed to provide answers to simple questions posed to him by the Public Protector. The ANC is opposed to the President Zuma appearing before the ad hoc committee on Nkandla to be held accountable. The court of law remains the last resort for the country to find answers regarding the theft of taxpayers' funds for the pleasure and benefit of the Zuma family.
President Zuma must pay back the money he owes South Africans and immediately be frog-marched to the courts to answer for his criminal indiscretions.
The EFF's call for the criminal prosecution of Jacob Zuma is not opportunistic because on the 20th of March 2014, EFF CIC laid criminal charges at the Sunnyside police station on the same matter. We still do not understand why the police have not arrested him despite the confirmation by the Public Protector and Special Investigations Unit (SIU) that there was criminality which directly involved him. It is only a Court of Law that can resolve this and such can only happen when Zuma is charged.
Statement issued by the Economic Freedom Fighters, September 26 2014
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