State capture report: Arguments to be heard on November 1

Once South Africans got over the shock that we were actually getting to see former public protector Thuli Madonsela's report on state capture, many, of course, turned to humour. File picture: Masi Losi

Once South Africans got over the shock that we were actually getting to see former public protector Thuli Madonsela's report on state capture, many, of course, turned to humour. File picture: Masi Losi

Published Oct 14, 2016

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Pretoria – An application to the high court in Pretoria to interdict outgoing Public Protector Thuli Madonsela from releasing a preliminary report into allegations of state capture has been postponed to November 1 for parties to argue their case.

The application by cooperative governance and traditional affairs minister, Des van Rooyen, is being opposed by Madonsela and political parties, including the Congress of the People, Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and the United Democratic Movement.

Earlier in the morning, Madonsela’s legal representative, Advocate Azhar Bham, told the court she would not be releasing the report as expected on Friday.

Bham told Judge Dawie Fourie that even though the report has been finalised and signed off, Madonsela had taken the decision not to release it on Friday “only as a courtesy to the court”.

Madonsela, who is leaving office Friday at the end of her seven-year term, had earlier in the week announced that she would release her preliminary report into allegations of “state capture” by the controversial Gupta family.

The Guptas have been accused of unduly influencing the appointment of cabinet ministers – a prerogative of the President – and other senior government officials in order to benefit their business concerns.

Zuma, who has strong ties to the wealthy Gupta family, on Thursday applied for an interdict to halt the release of the report.

This came three days after he demanded an undertaking from Madonsela that she would not wrap up her investigation until he had been allowed to question other witnesses in the investigation.

The president asked for more time and complained that he was given two days’ notice before Madonsela interviewed him last Thursday, and was expected to give evidence on matters of which he was not forewarned when she requested the meeting.

Zuma’s application to interdict Madonsela’s report is expected to be heard on Tuesday.

African News Agency

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