‘Corrupt politicians like Zuma would collapse SA’

JOHANNESBURG - As the country prepares for the national and provincial elections, former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela has warned South Africa against voting for corrupt politicians in next month’s polls, saying that if the likes of former President Jacob Zuma were brought back to public office, they’d bring the country into total collapse.

The elections scheduled for May 29, is expected to be the most hotly contested polls since the dawn of democracy 30 years ago.

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Madonsela told eNCA that if the likes of former President Jacob Zuma were to be brought back to public office, they would bring the country into ‘total collapse’.

“For me it sounds bizarre as somebody who was in the ANC and knowing that MK is not owned by any person. Just from an ethics point of view, I am shocked by President Zuma, I am also shocked by the decision of the IEC to decide that if a court of law decided that if his sentence is 15 months by remission of sentence, the president has not overruled a court of law and his sentence is shorter.”

Shocked

Madonsela said she is shocked by the decision because “it violates the principle of the separation of powers.”

“It reminds me of a time under apartheid when Parliament created a higher code of Parliament to overrule the Supreme Court of South Africa. For us as South Africans, we should not forget that he is a person who has refused to obey the Constitution. We should not forget that he is a person who sold the country to the Guptas and repurposed many of our State entities to do the work and reach his family and the family of the Gupta’s.

“The people of South Africa should not forget that because if he does come back into power, he will do just that, he will finish that job,” Madonsela said.

Earlier this month Zuma emphasised that he had lingering matters from his time in office, contending that he never finished his second term as president.

Zuma was addressing supporters outside the Electoral Court, the former president reiterated that he failed to understand why presidents were only limited to rule two terms by law, saying he had unfinished business in the presidential office.

Deny

“When a lot of people say they want a certain person, who’s going to say no? How can they deny democracy when it is in the Constitution? That is what the Constitution states.

“That boy from Nkandla never finished his two terms; he did not complete them. I am not a part of that group because I did not finish my term. If the people want me to serve, no one can stop me. They forget that I did not finish my term; I was removed before completing my term. There is something I need to finish there,” Zuma said.

United Democratic Movement (UDM) Leader Bantu Holomisa told The Citizen that Zuma has no ambition to become the leader of the country.

“The MK has a right to appeal if they feel so. But the truth of the matter is that we are now campaigning, this is politics. Everybody knew that President Zuma has never had ambitions become a president. He said himself by saying ‘I am going to campaign for MK.’

“So, he is an attractive individual for MK. If MK were to do well in the elections, who knows, it might well be that someone who will become a president of MK is still within the ANC,” Holomisa said.

The Citizen did contact the MK party for comment, but there was no response. The comments will be included in the story once received.