Dereliction of duty - President Zuma refuses to bring Tina to account
The DA will write to President Jacob Zuma, Deputy President, Kgalema Motlanthe, and the Speaker of the National Assembly, Max Sisulu, demanding reasons as to why the Office of the Presidency failed to table the damning "Docked Vessels" report.
According to Section 3 (5) (a) of the Executive Members' Ethics Act, the President is obliged to:
"... within a reasonable time, but not later than 14 days after receiving a report on a Cabinet member or Deputy Minister referred to... submit a copy of the report and any comments thereon, together with a report on any action taken or to be taken in regard thereto, to the National Assembly."
To date there is no evidence of the report, released on the 5 December 2013, ever being submitted to National Assembly for its consideration.
Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj, as early as January of this year, is reported saying that the matter was receiving attention from the Presidency, and that President Zuma would inform the public once he had come to a decision.
The President clearly has no intention of addressing the matter and has been derelict in his duty.
This incriminating report finds Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, guilty of misconduct due to her attempted interference with both the Public Protector and the National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) investigations into her office. The report also found the Minister's department guilty of wasteful expenditure resulting from the mismanagement of the department's fleet of research and patrol ships - for 20 months, no patrols and research was done on South Africa's coastline.
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries is sinking, yet the ANC continues to protect Minister Joemat-Pettersson even though she is a blind captain. President Zuma's inaction is a clear sign that his government is not serious about fighting corruption.
To date, the DA has, on numerous occasions, attempted to have the report debated within the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and through a motion in the National Assembly. And, we will continue to pursue this agenda.
The South African public deserves a transparent and accountable government that respects the rule of law - a vote for the DA on 7 May will ensure that they receive it.
Statement issued by Pieter van Dalen MP, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, March 18 2014
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