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The
Democratic Alliance has called on President Thabo Mbeki to
repudiate comments attributed to senior African National Congress
members about National Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani
Ngcuka's investigation of Deputy President Jacob Zuma.
The Scorpions investigation unit, which falls under Ngcuka, is
probing allegations of Zuma's involvement in the multi-billion rand
arms deal.
DA justice spokesperson Sheila Camerer said in a statement
yesterday that in terms of the Constitution, certain institutions
were required to be independent.
When the DA objected to the appointment of ruling party members to
these institutions, the ANC insisted that the appointees could, and
would be expected to, act independently in the fulfilment of their
duties.
"A senior ANC member that is quoted in this week's Mail and
Guardian directly contradicts this claim," Camerer said.
The newspaper quoted an unnamed senior ANC member as having said:
"Bulelani knew the issue would damage the ANC and he should have
consulted broadly within the ANC before starting.
"We all get deployed by the organisation and there are written and
unwritten rules.
"One of the unwritten rules is to check with comrades before taking
an action against the deputy president of the ANC," the quote
read.
Camerer said Ngcuka had shown, through his prosecution of former
ANC chief whip Tony Yengeni and former ANC Women's League President
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, and now his investigation Zuma and
former transport minister Mac Maharaj, that he was prepared to
fulfil his original commitment on his appointment to be impartial
and act independently.
"However, there is no doubt that he has been under immense pressure
from within the ANC, and this is bound to weigh on his ability to
do his job," she said.
"The National Director of Public Prosecutions serves the people of
South Africa.
"He is not there to serve the ruling party. Any suggestion that he
is answerable first - or even at all - to the ANC should be
condemned.
"The president needs to act to defend the independence and
integrity of South Africa's independent institutions," Camerer
said. – Sapa.
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