Johannesburg – The release of the state capture report remained in limbo on Friday after the EFF, joined by the UDM and Cope, went to the Pretoria High Court to force the outgoing Public Protector Thuli Madonsela to make the report public.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane also said on Friday that they would be in court to oppose the application by Co-operative Governance Minister Des van Rooyen on the release of the report.
Maimane said they wanted Madonsela to release the report on Friday, and accused Van Rooyen of being a proxy in President Jacob Zuma’s war with the Public Protector.
Zuma’s application is scheduled to be heard on Tuesday. Van Rooyen’s application, filed on Thursday night, would be heard later on Friday.
“We will oppose the interdict application because we firmly believe that it is important that the people of South Africa be informed and be aware of the extent of the Gupta control of South African government through their capture of State president, Mr Jacob Zuma,” the EFF said in a statement.
Madonsela, who is leaving office on Friday, 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 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, this week asked Madonsela not to wrap up her investigation into allegations of state capture until he had been allowed to question other witnesses in the investigation.
The president asked for more time and added 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.
Madonsela had indicated that she would release the report on Friday, but has since said on advice from her legal team she would not be doing so.
She, however, insists Zuma has had enough time since March this year to answer her questions on alleged Gupta family influence on the State and its entities.
Zuma and Van Rooyen have come under fire for their bids to interdict Madonsela, with political parties and analysts accusing them of panicking and applying delaying tactics in the midst of possible damning findings.
Madonsela said she would release the last batch of her other investigations on Friday.
The EFF said the two court applications “do not hold water”.
“The EFF is of the view that none of the applications for a court interdict hold water because the applicant will not suffer irreparable damage as there still exists an option for a judicial review of the findings and remedial actions of the Public Protector.
“South Africa cannot wait for another day to know what are the corrective measures on the phenomenon of state capture, which has been manifested in the recent past through the senseless criminal charges against the Minister of Finance (Pravin Gordhan) and the Commander in Chief of the EFF Julius Malema.”
African News Agency and Political Bureau