The DA notes President Jacob Zuma’s supplementary heads of argument and is gobsmacked by the contents.
The prayers sought in the papers filed today are inconsistent with what his counsel sought last week.
On Wednesday last week, Zuma’s counsel did not want to refer the matter back for further investigation by the Public Protector.
The President now says that he wants the Public Protector’s remedial action set aside and instead, he undertakes to appoint a commission of enquiry headed up by a judge of his own choosing, and with terms of reference he will determine, within 30 days. As the Public Protector herself noted, this would make him judge and jury in his own case.
In another bizarre about-turn, the President is also now content for the alleged breaches of the Code of Ethics to be investigated by her.
Either the President has lost touch with reality or he is changing tack yet again to fend off any charges.
The DA has submitted our supplementary heads of argument in which we argue that the President is essentially trying to have his cake and eat it.
We have asked that the President be directed to urgently implement the remedial action ordered by the Public Protector and we are confident that the court will agree.
The DA will continue to doggedly pursue accountability for the man responsible for one of the darkest times in our democracy’s history.