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The Presidency’s decision to release the Donen Commission’s report on South African involvement in the UN “oil-for-food” saga should be welcomed.
The report is believed to contain evidence about the involvement of top ANC members, including Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe and Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale, in the “oil-for-food” scandal.
Given that these individuals are now high ranking members of government, it is a matter of public interest that the Commission’s report is made available to the South African people.
The report’s release has been the subject of a tug-of-war between the Presidency and Independent Newspapers, who submitted an application under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to gain access to the document.
The timing of the Presidency’s announcement is therefore interesting, given that the report is said to implicate two figures who appear to be opposed to President Zuma’s continued leadership of the ANC.
Having fought the release of the report thus far, the question that must be asked of the Presidency is, why now?
Steps taken by government to improve the free flow of information must be applauded. But it is crucial that information is released into the public domain for the right reasons, and not as a means to fight internal political battles.
To do so undermines the principles of transparency and accountability on which our democracy is based.
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