Cape Town - DA is to ask National Assembly Speaker Max Sisulu to extend the life of the Nkandla ad hoc committee.
“I will specifically ask that the deadline be extended to May 5, to allow for work throughout the weekend of May 2 to May 4,” Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko told reporters on Tuesday.
“I will also ask that the special session to consider the findings, and to give effect to my motion to remove the president in terms of section 89 of the Constitution, takes place on May 5 or May 6.”
The committee, which is mandated to consider the submissions made by President Jacob Zuma in response to Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's report on the R246 million upgrades to his private Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal, was established on April 9.
Parties had 10 working days to nominate members to serve on the committee.
The African National Congress has not yet submitted names, and has until Wednesday this week to do so.
Given that the committee was given an April 30 deadline to report back to Parliament, the DA believes four working days is not enough for it to complete its work.
“It is therefore a disgrace that, once more, the ANC of President Jacob Zuma has resorted to closing down the parliamentary space for scrutiny and transparency by deliberately delaying the appointment of its seven members to the committee, and preventing the committee from beginning its work... ,” Mazibuko said.
“We believe that the ANC should now submit their names to the Speaker immediately, and that those names should be reflected in the ATC (Announcements, Tablings and Committee Reports) - document by the very latest tomorrow (on Wednesday) - a full two weeks after the speaker made the announcement.”
The request to extend the life of the committee was a “procedural request”.
“If the ANC opposes this legitimate request, it will then be clear as day that its intention was always to delay the start of the committee and to prevent it from eliciting answers from President Jacob Zuma.” - Sapa