PARLIAMENT, August 31 (ANA) – President Jacob Zuma on Thursday told the National Assembly he has never sought to have state contracts awarded to his family, but restive opposition MPs refused to accept the blanket response.
“I have never sat in a meeting and asked anybody to help Duduzane,” Zuma said after MPs demanded to know, in particular, whether his son, who has close business ties with the controversial Gupta family, had been favoured for state business.
Zuma then failed to answer a question from Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane as to whether he would sue Brent Simmons, the chief director of public service and administration, who has submitted an affidavit to Speaker Baleka Mbete in which he accused the president of lying to Parliament when he claimed he had not introduced family members to government officials as business contacts.
The Sunday press reported that Simmons apparently cited a number of incidents in which he claims to have seen Zuma “directing” members of his family to the late public service and administration minister, Collins Chabane
Zuma ignored the question, then insisted he had answered it after DA MPs chanted “answer the question”.
DA chief whip John Steenhuisen said he had not, but had, in fact, frustrated the process and asked Mbete to compel him to answer the question.
She replied that she was not entitled to prescribe to the executive how to answer a question, prompting Steenhuisen to say the proceedings were a sham if she would not ensure the president answered questions.
There was a supplementary question from Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema, who was interrupted by objections from the African National Congress (ANC) benches when he for the umpteemth time addressed Zuma as “Baba kaDuduzane”, or the father of Duduzane.
The younger Zuma’s notoriety rose further this week when he penned an open letter in which he accused former finance minister Pravin Gordhan of abusing state machinery to target himself and his business associates.
Malema, too, asked why Zuma had failed to sue those who had made serious allegations against him, and whether this meant that their claims were true.
“Why don’t you take action to protect the good image of the office, even if you don’t care personally,” Malema asked.
Zuma said many people said negative things about him every day.
“I don’t take actions against people like yourself generally, I don’t do it,” Zuma said and chuckled after Mbete switched off Malema’s microphone, leaving him to gesticulate.
The opposition had raised points of order protesting against Zuma’s presence in the house and continued presidency for half an hour before he could speak.
AN EFF MP charged that the chamber should not be addressed by “a rapist” and was forced to withdraw the remark.
Zuma said in his response to the question on mounting allegations of state money illicitly flowing to the Gupta family, that it closely matched the issues raised by former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela in her report “State of Capture”. He had undertaken to appoint a commission of inquiry to investigate the allegations and planned to do so, he added.
The president is, however, challenging Madonsela’s directive that the head of the commission be appointed not by him but the Chief Justice.
Maimane, in a supplementary question, asked Zuma whether he planned to dismiss the board of struggling national airline South African Airways (SAA) and in particular the chairwoman Dudu Myeni, who he stressed was a close associate of Zuma.
Zuma responded by saying the company’s problems preceded the current leadership as it had never “been on top of the world” and that the government was planning to recapitalise it as part of efforts to resolve its financial woes.
“There are also other plans to deal with the SAA that will be announced not so long,” he said.
– African News Agency (ANA)
