The news of the imminent appeal by the NPA against the ruling delivered by Judge Chris Nicholson last week Friday has now hit the wires.  

We wish to reaffirm that the NPA has the legal right to appeal the judgment and are entitled to that recourse.

However, the SACP strongly condemns this latest manouvre by the NPA, and is actually further proof that there is a political force driving the NPA to make Cde Zuma's ascendancy to the Union Buildings as difficult and unpleasant as possible. To us this is also aimed at defocusing the ANC and its alliance partners from the very important task of campaigning for elections.

The SACP is further convinced that the lodging of an intention to appeal by the NPA is a tactic to try and prevent public scrutiny of its political behavior and being manipulated. For instance, the SACP, in the wake of Judge Nicholson judgement, will be calling upon parliament to summon the NPA to account for its behavior.

We are also of the view that it is a bit too late to salvage its already tarnished image in so far as how it has conducted the matter as it relates to the President of the ANC, Cde Jacob Zuma. The NPA and some of the elements within the NPA have become so emotionally and politically attached to finding Cde Zuma guilty, that its latest actions forms part of the litany of vindictive pursuit of the President of the ANC at all, and at any, costs.  

We cannot utilize our legal system for narrow self serving objectives. In whose interest is the appeal? Certainly not in the public interest, but definitely in the interests of the political masters they have been exposed to be serving. The NPA needs to be discouraged to follow this route.

The appeal is also a tactic to delay the implementation of far reaching recommendations emanating from the ruling. 

Statement issued by the South African Communist Party September 17 2008