Cape Town – ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has called on Chief Justice Raymond Zondo to respect the separation of powers and allow other state organs to carry out their duties without interference.
Mbalula was speaking at the start of the Western Cape ANC elective conference on Saturday
His comments came in response to Zondo’s recent remarks suggesting that Parliament would fail to prevent another state capture if it were to occur.
Mbalula said Zondo was allowed the space he needed to conclude the state capture report and urged him to avoid exerting undue pressure on law enforcement agencies.
“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.
“Justice Zondo has an opinion week in and week out. Which is fine, but you must respect separation of powers…
…he also asked for extensions to write the report, he had to change it from time to time.”
– Fikile Mbalula, ANC Secretary-General #ANCWC2023 #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/plB9CweNNt
— Athi Mtongana (@AthiMtongana) June 24, 2023
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.”
Zondo stated during a CSIR briefing on Thursday, 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.
“It is inappropriate for the Chief Justice, representing one of the arms of state, to engage in public attacks on parliament. We note that the attacks are also directed at the executive in so far as the current policy position of the electoral system is concerned,” said Parliament.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Picture: Twitter/@GovernmentZA
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Betha Madhomu
