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Cape Town — Political party leaders were meeting with Parliament’s presiding officers yesterday to discuss the Constitutional Court’s Nkandla judgment.
The meeting was requested by Speaker Baleka Mbete and National Council of Provinces chairperson Thandi Modise.
Political party leaders and whips, including African National Congress’ Jackson Mthembu, the Democratic Alliance’s Mmusi Maimane, the Economic Freedom Fighters’ Floyd Shivambu, the Congress of the People’s Willie Madisha and the National Freedom Party’s Nhlanhla Khubisa filed into the Speaker’s boardroom yesterday morning.
Most were mum on what they expected from the meeting, but Khubisa said they needed to decide the way forward in terms of fulfilling the requirements of the judgment.
The court last month ruled that President Jacob Zuma had failed to uphold, defend, and respect the Constitution by not complying with Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s remedial action regarding payment for the non-security upgrades to his private Nkandla home.
It also ruled that the National Assembly failed to uphold the Constitution when it set aside Madonsela’s report. Maimane called for the establishment of a multi-party Parliamentary committee to investigate whether Zuma misled Parliament regarding Nkandla.
Meanwhile, Cope has vowed to boycott proceedings in the National Assembly after the ANC in Parliament refused to take action against President Jacob Zuma following the Constitutional Court ruling. Spokesperson Dennis Bloem said the party’s executive committee had considered the judgment, which was handed down two weeks ago. “The executive committee noted that the refusal of the ruling party in Parliament to act against the incumbent in the office of the president made it guilty of contempt of court,” he said. — Sapa
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