Cape Town – Build One SA leader Mmusi Maimane has criticised Parliament, agreeing with Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s recent remarks.
Zondo stated during a CSIR briefing on Thursday last week, which delved into a post-state capture South Africa, that Parliament had not implemented recommendations from the commission reports and predicted another attempt at capturing the state would be unsuccessful.
On June 22, 2022, the final of a series of damning reports from a four-year investigation into corruption under Zuma’s presidency was handed to President Cyril Ramaphosa. Yet to date, no significant progress has been made in prosecuting those involved.
“A year is a reasonable time to reflect”, on the work and progress of the commission, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo told a meeting organised by a research think tank in Pretoria.
“I have seen nothing that has changed,” said Zondo, who was the lead investigator of a judiciary inquiry, AFP reported.
Zondo said state corruption placed the democracy of the continent’s most industrialised country “at risk”.
According to The Citizen, Parliament responded with “shock and strong objection”, calling Zondo’s comments inappropriate and emphasising that he should have used established channels to address concerns.
The Chief Justice is right to say that Parliament is failing to protect the country from corruption.
This is because parliament is serving and protecting one party over the people of South Africa.
We saw this with Nkanda, State Capture and even with the Section 89 report. https://t.co/UN04fh6WxU
— Mmusi Maimane (@MmusiMaimane) June 27, 2023
But Maimane agreed with Zondo, claiming that Parliament is prioritising one party over the interests of the people.
“The Chief Justice is right to say that Parliament is failing to protect the country from corruption.
“This is because parliament is serving and protecting one party over the people of South Africa.
“We saw this with Nkanda, State Capture and even with the Section 89 report,” Maimane said.
Meanwhile, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula called for respect for the separation of powers and criticised Zondo for his public opinions.
“Judges are not demigods. It is like Judge Zondo now; he has got an opinion week in, week out, which is fine…. But we must respect the separation of powers because he has done what he was supposed to do; he is finished.
“Naye ubhala la report it took him a longer time [It also took him a long time to write his report], he had to change from time to time and ask for more and more [time to finish it]. So kwaba tsotsi bangangaka bagcwele kule country [with so many criminals in this country], how will it be easy to arrest somebody overnight?,” asked Mbalula.
He added: “The judge has resolved that people must be prosecuted; it is easy for [Shamila] Batohi to do that job. Leave Batohi, her team, and the NPA to do their job without fear or favour and [allow them to] come to a conclusion, including arresting people.”
“If we put undue pressure on law enforcement, they will make mistakes. They will arrest people for cameras, but they will not be convicted of those people. The people we are chasing have deep pockets; they have money.”
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
