Cape Town - Parliament will investigate whether it would heed calls from opposition parties to take disciplinary action against President Jacob Zuma over the Nkandla saga.
The decision comes after Cooperative Governance Minister Des van Rooyen refused to answer questions on his visit to Dubai, which took place shortly after his appointment as Finance Minister in December last year. Members of the influential Gupta family were allegedly visiting Dubai at the same time.
Read: Nkandla: Union calls for civil disobedience
The Gupta family have made headlines in South Africa recently after allegations of the family's alleged involvement in ministerial appointments surfaced.
Speaker Baleka Mbete said Parliament would sit down to look at the call by the opposition for disciplinary action against Zuma and the legal implication of this.
The EFF said it was pleased that Parliament has agreed to this proposal for disciplinary action against Zuma.
Read: Zuma must stay, says ANC’s Gauteng leagues
EFF chief whip Floyd Shivambu said the meeting between the Speaker and opposition parties also agreed that the Powers and Privileges Act should be amended because it gives the speaker too much power.
South Africa, and the ruling party, has been divided by the Constitutional Court ruling that President Zuma flouted the Constitution by not heeding the public protector’s recommendation to pay back part of the state money spent on the Nkandla upgrades.
Read: ANCWL forgives Zuma, slams Manuel and Rupert
Last week struggle stalwarts joined civil society in calling for Zuma to step down.
While the ANC’s extended National Working Committee backed Zuma to stay in office, the party’s Gauteng leadership has issued a statement calling on the president to “do the right thing”.
Political Bureau and IOL
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