Pretoria - The public has a right to know what President Jacob Zuma is “up to” and what the findings of the Public Protector are, opposition parties have argued in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, on Tuesday.
The court is packed to the brim with interested parties and politicians, who want to hear whether arguments will be presented on Tuesday regarding the Public Protector's state capture report.
DA shadow justice minister James Selfe was the first of the politicians to take his seat, followed by EFF secretary Godrick Gardee and later Bantu Holomisa. Mmusi Maimane entered the court shortly before the matter started around 10am.
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa and trade unionist Zwelinzima Vavi are also in attendance.
EFF leader Julius Malema has not yet been spotted in court.
The case kicked off with the various opposition parties delivering their arguments as to why they want to be added as intervening parties against Zuma's application to keep the report under wraps.
The DA kicked off, followed by the EFF, Cope and the UDM. They all said they have an interest in the matter, not only on a political point, but also on behalf of the public.
Zuma has been joined in his application to interdict the release of former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's report on state capture by Cooperative Governance Minister Des van Rooyen and Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane.
Counsel for former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor are also asking to intervene, saying she has a right to the release of the report.
Zuma's lawyers want a postponement, saying Mentor only filed last week, and they haven’t had sufficient opportunity to respond.
The matter is being heard before Dunstan Mlambo, Judge President of the Gauteng Division of the High Court, as well as Justice Phineas Mojapelo and Justice D Fourie.
Outside the court EFF members had earlier gathered at Church Square in Pretoria before making their way to the front of the court building.
They sang anti-Zuma songs all morning since they started gathering at about 8am.
The EFF crowd is chanting and lifting their placards while being watched by the SAPS members and Tshwane metro police officers.
“Zuma stole our money; our pension money” is one of the songs reverberating on Madiba Street.
Pretoria News