DA seeks legal opinion on bill

President Jacob Zuma conveying a message during the 20th Celebration of Freedom Day held at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. South Africa. 27/04/2014. Siyabulela Duda

President Jacob Zuma conveying a message during the 20th Celebration of Freedom Day held at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. South Africa. 27/04/2014. Siyabulela Duda

Published Jun 10, 2014

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Parliament - The Democratic Alliance has demanded proof that President Jacob Zuma applied his mind when he signed the Infrastructure Development Bill into law last month.

To this end the party wants Zuma to furnish the opposition with legal opinion on the bill, DA MP Kobus Marais said on Tuesday.

He said seeking a legal opinion would have been the right step after the opposition questioned the constitutionality of the bill.

The DA had argued that the bill risked enabling corruption because of the wide ministerial powers it conferred.

The party has dubbed this the Nkandla bill in reference to the controversy surrounding state spending on Zuma's private homestead.

“The bill also contains problematic clauses that remove the powers of organs of state responsible for planning in their area and ignores the constitutionally mandated functions of provinces and local authorities,” Marais added.

The legislation was introduced late last year and aims to speed up infrastructure development projects.

It establishes the structures of the Presidential Infrastructure Co-ordinating Commission, which has approved 18 strategic integrated projects.

Zuma's spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.

Sapa

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