President Zuma’s withdrawals are nonsensical and bizarre

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The Democratic Alliance is appalled that, in the dying moments of the response by the President's lawyer, the President abandoned one of his submissions to the Court, namely that the court order that State Capture report be remitted back to the Public Protector (PP) for further investigation.

If this had been what the President had intended all along, why he has dragged it out in such a cynical and time wasting manner?

This is nonsensical and bizarre. It's been nearly a year since the Public Protector tabled her report. The President has repeatedly said that he intends to appoint a commission of inquiry, but will not be dictated to about who should preside over the inquiry. Now it appears - much as was the case in the Nkandla and Spy Tapes judgements - that the President is changing tack at the last minute.

We argued in our submissions that it was a competent remedial action by the Public Protector; that similar orders had been made by the PP in previous cases; that it was urgent for there to be a commission of inquiry into the matter of state capture given the gravity of the allegations and the extent of alleged state capture; and that a commission of inquiry, in public, would help to restore the faith of the South African public in political institutions.

We hope that the Court will be with us. This matter cannot drag on any longer. It's crucial that we get to the bottom of this matter and close this shameful chapter in our history, and to take steps against those responsible, including criminal charges and civil claims.

Statement issued by James Selfe MP, DA Federal Council Chairperson, 26 October 2017