Johannesburg - An acting president for South Africa needs to be appointed until the matter surrounding President Jacob Zuma's Nkandla homestead is resolved, the Christian Democratic Party (CDP) said on Friday.
“… Until such time as the court decides on this matter, it will be most inappropriate for Jacob Zuma to be sworn in for another term as president,” CDP leader Theunis Botha said in a statement on Friday.
“Technically, until the matter is finalised, Zuma’s integrity and suitability to be president is questionable.”
The party called on Parliament to appoint an interim president in the meantime. Zuma was due to be inaugurated on May 24.
Botha welcomed the decision by the security cluster of ministers to approach a high court for a judicial review of Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's Nkandla report.
“This revision will once and for all establish whether the present Public Protector is truly independent as required by the constitution, or whether she is engaged in a vendetta against government,” he said.
Government spokeswoman Phumla Williams on Thursday said the cluster was preparing papers for court as it believed that Madonsela's findings lacked clarity in some areas and were “irrational, contradictory and… informed by material errors of law”.
Madonsela, in her report, found that Zuma and his family had unduly benefited from R246 million security upgrades to his private Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal, which included a swimming pool, a cattle kraal, and an amphitheatre.
She recommended, among other things, that he repay a portion of the money.
Zuma has said previously that he will await the outcome of another probe by the Special Investigating Unit before responding to the matter. - Sapa