Ramaphosa protecting Zuma from Parliament

05 November 2014

During today's sitting of the National Assembly, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa would not commit to ensuring that President Jacob Zuma come to Parliament to be answer oral questions. It is unacceptable that the President refuses to appear in the National Assembly, hiding behind the excuse that Parliament is too hostile an environment for him.

Today the Deputy President advanced this argument again, suggesting that the relationship between the President and the National Assembly was not good enough for him to answer oral questions. This is irrelevant. The President is required to appear and answer questions four times a year. 

The job of Deputy President Ramaphosa in his capacity as Leader of Government Business is to coordinate the work of the Executive in Parliament, this also includes ensuring that the Executive fulfils its constitutional obligations of accounting to Parliament.

It is clear that Deputy President Ramaphosa is towing the line from Luthuli House to protect President Zuma at all costs, even if it means subverting the Constitution and the Rules of Parliament.

On 20 October 2014, I wrote to the Deputy President asking him to commit to holding the President to his constitutional duty to account to Parliament.  I have not received any reply from the Deputy President nor his Office.

A further question I asked today related to the 8 charges of corruption I laid against President Zuma at Nkandla. But Minister of Police Nkosinathi Nhleko forced this question, about the progress of the charges, to stand over and would not answer it. Like the President, he is dodging accountability.

The President and the Executive cannot pick and choose which constitutional obligations to fulfil.

The President can run, but he cannot hide forever. The DA will all pursue every means possible to ensure that the President fulfils his constitutional obligations.

Statement issued by Mmusi Maimane MP, DA Parliamentary Leader, November 5 2014

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