The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has joined the Democratic Alliance (DA) in welcoming the North Gauteng High Court’s decision to set aside President Jacob Zuma’s application to review the public protector’s remedial action on the state of capture report.
Judge President Dunstan Mlambo handed down the ruling, saying Zuma should appoint a commission of inquiry into the state of capture report within 30 days. The Chief Justice, and not Zuma, is to appoint a judge to head the inquiry.
EFF Secretary General Godrich Gardee says going forward; President Zuma should no longer be allowed to address Parliament.
“We welcome the judgment by the court and it vindicates the demand that the EFF has made in Parliament that Mr. Zuma should never address the Parliament, he is not honourable. Come 2018 State of the Nation Address, hopefully the Nasrec conference of the ruling party will take a resolution that he should actually not come close to Parliament and address Parliament. The earlier he steps aside, the better for the country.”
Congress of the People (COPE) leader Mosiuoa Lekota says the entire leadership of the African National Congress (ANC) is to blame for not recalling President Zuma.
“The blame for this situation must be squarely placed before the entire leadership of the ANC, both for the first five years and the second five years that they have protected him. They themselves have failed to uphold the constitution. This thing of the ANC believing that it is above the Constitution, they think they can allow him and themselves to do as they please with the tax payers’ money.”
The judgment also stipulated that the President should personally bear the costs of the litigation.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane says in similar vein, Zuma should be prepared to pay from his own pockets should he decide to appeal Friday’s judgment.
“The ANC has protected the President and the President has failed to lead. I will say that publicly because it is clear Jacob Zuma has never been interested in investigating state capture allegations. If he does appeal, I would doubt that another court would not be consistent to keeping to the cost order so it ought to be in his personal cost in this instance. So him and the Guptas, if they want to continue this racketeering business, they must then fund that legal case.”
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Read judgment below:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4327757-State-Capture-Review-Judgment.html
