ANC deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte has apologised to Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo in writing over her opinion piece published in the Daily Maverick in which she said that the state capture commission should not turn South Africa’s democracy “into more of a neo-liberal concoction than it already is.”
In the column, Duarte said: “More worrying is that democratic centralism is now the subject of a commission led by a judge who, with respect, practices his craft based on the narrow parameters of existing laws.”
“One can only hope that the Zondo Commission is not going to turn our democracy into more of a neo-liberal concoction than it already is; where we all sound the same and do nothing real to transform our society.”
In her apology on Saturday Duarte said that the article appeared to speak to Zondo as a person directly.
“It was not my intention to show any disrespect towards you personally. The article which was published in the Daily Maverick was a reflection of several witnesses who appeared not to know that the current system of our National Assembly is premised on a proportional representation system, largely in line with the Westminster model which provides for a whippery system,” Duarte wrote.
She added that she had deep respect for Zondo and the work he was doing to bring to the fore the depth of malfeasance in the state and the private sector.
Political Bureau