Johannesburg - Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane wants President Jacob Zuma to comply with an order by
her predecessor and appoint a judge to investigate
influence-peddling allegations in government, court filings
showed on Thursday.
Then Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, a constitutionally
mandated watchdog, said in a report in November that a full
investigation was needed into allegations that members of the
Gupta family, friends of Zuma, wielded undue influence over
political appointments and the awarding of government tenders.
The Gupta family and Zuma deny wrongdoing.
Madonsela, who left office the day after her report was
released, called for a full judicial inquiry. Zuma has
challenged the need to open that probe.
Mkhwebane, Madonsela's successor, has filed papers
with the high court saying Zuma should have complied with her
predecessor's report by December and opened a judicial inquiry,
the court papers showed.
Zuma's spokesperson did not respond to a request for a comment.
Persistent corruption allegations are piling pressure on
Zuma and there are increasing calls from within the ANC for him to stand down. Parliament will
hold a no-confidence vote on Zuma next month.
South African media have been dominated in recent weeks by
stories - based on more than 100 000 leaked Gupta company emails
and documents - about how Gupta-controlled firms do business
with state-run and international firms.
Big global names are being drawn into the scandal.
German technology company, SAP, told Reuters on
Wednesday it had placed four senior managers in South Africa on
leave and opened an investigation after it was accused of taking
kickbacks from a Gupta-owned company.
SAP has denied any wrongdoing.
London-based public relations firm Bell Pottinger apologised
last week and said it had fired a partner in charge of a South
African PR campaign for a Gupta-owned company that the political
opposition said inflamed racial tensions.