Parliament, Cape Town - A DA motion for a debate on the R206 million upgrade of President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla home has been referred back to the Chief Whips' Forum, the party said on Thursday.
This followed Thursday morning's National Assembly programming committee meeting, where no agreement could be reached, Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko said.
National Assembly Speaker Max Sisulu opted to refer the matter back.
“The DA will stand firm on this matter. We have been allocated the space in the parliamentary schedule to have a DA motion debated, and it cannot be up to the ANC to decide on our behalf what to debate,” Mazibuko said.
“If the ANC continues to block my motion in its ongoing effort to protect President Zuma from being held to account, then the Speaker must reconsider the decision not to allow a debate of public importance on 'Nkandlagate' in terms of... the Rules of the National Assembly.”
On Wednesday, African National Congress Chief Whip Mathole Motshekga said allowing a debate on state spending on Zuma's Nkandla home would be like putting the cart before the horse.
“This is because the matter is currently under formal investigation and the findings have not (yet) been made.
“The investigative institutions, such as the Office of the Public Protector, which is accountable to Parliament, must be afforded space to do their work without undue political influence from Parliament,” he said.
Earlier, Mazibuko said that at Wednesday's Chief Whips' Forum meeting, the ANC rejected her notice of motion for debate on the “Nkandlagate” scandal to be held on Tuesday.
The DA had also proposed an alternative, should the debate on Nkandla not go ahead. But, this motion to debate the constitutionality of the National Key Points Act was also rejected, she said. - Sapa