President Jacob Zuma is opposing all parties which want to intervene in his application to stop the release of a report on state capture‚ which was prepared by former public protector Thuli Madonsela before she left the office last month.
The application by Zuma began in the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday morning‚ but the court said it first needed to determine which parties were involved in the case.
Advocates for the Democratic Alliance‚ the Economic Freedom Fighters‚ United Democratic Movement and the Congress of the People‚ and former African National Congress MP Vytjie Mentor‚ all applied to intervene to have the report released.
The report concerned an investigation into complaints regarding alleged improper and unethical conduct by Zuma and other persons relating to an alleged improper relationship with the Gupta family.
New Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane indicated‚ in an affidavit to the court on October 21‚ that she was not opposing any of the applications and that she would abide by the decision of the court.
Anthea Platt SC‚ for Zuma‚ said on Tuesday that the president’s procedural rights to ask questions of witnesses who testified to Madonsela had not been adhered to.
Platt said this was admitted by Madonsela.
She said Zuma had the right to pose questions to the witnesses.
“The only two parties that are aware of the procedural requirements are the applicant (Zuma) and the respondent (public protector)‚” Platt said.
Platt said the political parties and Mentor could not say their interest had been affected by the president obtaining an order that he had the right to ask questions.
Platt said what Zuma wanted was an opportunity to exercise his rights as procedural requirements had not been followed.
The matter continues. — TMG Digital
Zuma’s right to question state capture witnesses outweighs intervening parties’ interests: lawyer
President Jacob Zuma is opposing all parties which want to intervene in his application to stop the release of a report on state capture‚ which was prepared by former public protector Thuli Madonsela before she left the office last month.
The application by Zuma began in the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday morning‚ but the court said it first needed to determine which parties were involved in the case.
Advocates for the Democratic Alliance‚ the Economic Freedom Fighters‚ United Democratic Movement and the Congress of the People‚ and former African National Congress MP Vytjie Mentor‚ all applied to intervene to have the report released.
The report concerned an investigation into complaints regarding alleged improper and unethical conduct by Zuma and other persons relating to an alleged improper relationship with the Gupta family.
New Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane indicated‚ in an affidavit to the court on October 21‚ that she was not opposing any of the applications and that she would abide by the decision of the court.
Anthea Platt SC‚ for Zuma‚ said on Tuesday that the president’s procedural rights to ask questions of witnesses who testified to Madonsela had not been adhered to.
Platt said this was admitted by Madonsela.
She said Zuma had the right to pose questions to the witnesses.
“The only two parties that are aware of the procedural requirements are the applicant (Zuma) and the respondent (public protector)‚” Platt said.
Platt said the political parties and Mentor could not say their interest had been affected by the president obtaining an order that he had the right to ask questions.
Platt said what Zuma wanted was an opportunity to exercise his rights as procedural requirements had not been followed.
The matter continues. — TMG Digital
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