DA: Stop Wasting Funds, Zuma!
President Jacob Zuma should stop wasting public funds on the court case involving the so-called spy tapes, the DA said on Monday.
“As a result of President Jacob Zuma’s delaying tactics during the DA’s bid for the release of the ‘spy tapes’, the South African public has had to cough up nearly R1.3 million in legal fees,” Democratic Alliance MP James Selfe said in a statement.
“Mr Jacob Zuma would do well to stop wasting public funds and let the truth be known.”
In written reply to a parliamentary question on Monday, Zuma said: “An amount of R1,262,479.70 has been paid to date in respect of costs incurred in defending litigation brought by the Democratic Alliance (DA) for the record from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in relation to the NPA’s decision with regard to the president.
“The recordings represent one aspect of the litigation instituted by the Democratic Alliance. The amount paid is a reflection of the costs of the entire matter, and not only in respect of the recordings,” he said.
The tapes, transcripts and other documents relate to a 2009 NPA decision to drop corruption charges against Zuma.
Zuma was granted leave in August to appeal the ruling that the NPA lodge the tapes with the registrar of the High Court in Pretoria within five working days.
Selfe said the DA would oppose the appeal because the Supreme Court of Appeal had already ordered that the reduced record be handed over to the party. All that was under appeal was what made up the reduced record.
“The DA will continue to fight… because we want to satisfy ourselves and the public that the NPA’s decision in 2009 to drop fraud and corruption charges against Jacob Zuma was informed by legal and constitutional factors, rather than political expediency.
“We also need to underscore the constitutional principle that no-one is above the law,” said Selfe.