Cape Town – President Jacob Zuma on Friday called on public servants and representatives of state-owned enterprises to respect and account fully to Parliament.
"The presidency wishes to remind public servants and persons serving in state-owned entities that they are all required to respect Parliament and abide by oversight requirements of Parliament at all times, without any exception," Zuma's office said in a statement.
The remarks come after the last remaining member of the SABC board, chairman Mbulaheni Maguvhe, failed to appear before Parliament's ad hoc committee looking into the fitness of the board on Thursday.
He will now be summonsed. Zuma said that as the country marked the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution, all public entities and departments were asked to bear in mind that they needed to respect the two other arms of the state, the judiciary and the legislature.
"They are required to cooperate with the two institutions, guided by the Constitution and the law of the land."
He cited Section 92 of the Constitution, and noted that if the deputy president and ministers were individually and collective accountable to Parliament in the performance of their duties and obliged to provide Parliament with full and regular reports on matters in their portfolios.
"In this regard, the management and staff of government departments as well as board members, management and staff of state owned entities and companies are all accountable to Parliament for the functions assigned to their ministers."
Zuma added that he and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa fulfilled their responsibilities to Parliament "in full and with respect".
Zuma was criticised by the Democratic Alliance on Thursday for refusing to answer questions on the findings in former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's report on state capture by saying the matter was sub judice though he has yet to launch a formal legal challenge to the 355-page document.
The DA in their annual report card on the president and his Cabinet gave Zuma a score of F-. Ramaphosa received a C.