The NPA must charge Zuma - SACP
18 September 2017
Mbombela - The SACP has called on the NPA to finally charge President Jacob Zuma for corruption, and for the ANC to remove him from public office.
SACP first deputy general secretary Solly Mapaila said at the weekend that the admission by the president's attorneys in the Supreme Court of Appeal last week that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) erred by dropping corruption charges against Zuma now paved the way for the charges to be reinstated.
"The president has now accepted... [at] the Supreme Court of Appeal to agree with the lower court that the preferred charges by the NPA should have been served on him.
"Now that he has accepted to be charged, we hope the NPA will go ahead and do so," said Mapaila.
The outspoken SACP leader was addressing the party's supporters during a lecture to honour late SACP and ANC stalwart Ahmed Kathrada in Mbombela on Sunday.
"We hope the ANC will do the right thing and remove him according to the new rules," said Mapaila.
Zuma 'inconsistent'
One of the rules in the constitution that the ANC adopted at its national conference in 2012 prescribes that the organisation may suspend a public representative who is "indicted to appear in a court of law on any charge".
Mapaila also lambasted Zuma for being inconsistent, after his attorneys had previously backtracked in court over the Nkandla scandal.
"Now that says something about him. He's a very inconsistent comrade. He did so to the comrades who gave him support on Nkandla. Why should we now support him on anything, with this level of inconsistency?" asked Mapaila.
He also said that the admission by Zuma's attorneys also meant an end to the backing that the organisation gave to Zuma back in 2005, when state institutions were allegedly used to fight political battles.
"He takes away either part or the whole of the previous support that we had given him on the basis of him being targeted and being the victim of political ploys through state organs.
Mapaila also decried the South African law enforcement agencies' failure to act on allegations of corruption against the Gupta family, while other countries are already taking action on the allegations of corruption committed in South Africa.
Anti-state capture march
"Action against corruption in this country is being taken somewhere else. The British have taken action against Bell Pottinger and even [removed] them from a professional organisation of public relations companies. KPMG takes action in London. We have not taken action here.
"There's action taken against Trillian, the Gupta-related company in the US and Germany. We are not taking action here, where the real activities are taking place. What kind of government are we?"
He said that the reason South Africa was failing to act against corruption was because state institutions had been captured.
He called on the South African public to take part in the anti-state capture march taking place on the September 27.
"That march of Cosatu is important because it's a march against corporate capture of the state. The reason we can't take action is because our leadership is captured, including President Jacob Zuma.
"We invite all our members to participate in the Cosatu strike. It must not be just an event. It must have an impact. All communists must join the strike in all provinces. We invite all South Africans to work with us. The strike action must make him listen, and also make the ANC listen," said Mapaila.
Also present at the gathering were the CEO of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Neeshan Balton and ANC Mpumalanga treasurer Vusi Shongwe.
