Zuma refuses to answer to Parliament on Guptas and State Capture

14 November 2016

In 10 individual replies to DA written Parliamentary Questions, President Jacob Zuma has flatly refused to answer a wide range of questions pertaining to his role in State Capture in South Africa.

In a formulaic response to each of these questions, the Presidency states that the subject matter forms part of the Public Protector’s State of Capture report - which is “inconclusive” - and that President Zuma is still considering whether he will challenge the said report in court.

I submitted these written questions last month, when it emerged that Adv Madonsela posed these questions in written form to President Zuma on October 6, after he refused to answer them directly.

Zuma has now refused to answer to both the Parliament and the Public Protector on these matters, indicating his clear disdain for accountability. We cannot afford dithering and delaying while the country needs answers.

It has become clear that President Zuma is in fact "beneficiary number one" when it comes to State Capture, and in particular his close relationship with the Gupta family, and thus continues his evasiveness in order to try escape the consequences of such undue benefit.

While the President has a right to take the State Capture report on review in a court of law, he cannot hide behind the law. Rather, he must face the law.

The State of Capture report makes a host of scathing allegations against the President, and if they are indeed inaccurate then one would think he would jump at the opportunity to set the record straight in reply to these questions. Rather, the President has chosen to play “hide and seek” with the law and the people of South Africa.

Moreover, if President does decide to take the State of Capture report on review in court, he must fund this legal action himself. The people of South Africa cannot be expected to pay for the Zuma’s numerous encounters with the law. The people have already paid Zuma’s R4 million legal bill for the President’s legal action regarding Nkandla. Public money is to be used for public good, not the President’s private problems.

The DA will use every avenue possible – including the Public Protector, Parliament, the courts and the prosecuting authority - to make sure President Zuma is held accountable for his State Capture project.

In this light, I will tomorrow lay criminal charges against President Jacob Zuma in terms of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, for his implicit role in State Capture in South Africa. We believe there exists a prima facie criminal case that must be investigated.

Jacob Zuma will not escape facing the full might of the law, and justice will be served.

Issued by Mabine Seabe, DA Leader spokesperson, 14 November 2016