Zuma to face tough questions from MPs

All eyes will be on president as he appears in Parliament

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma is back in the hot seat in Parliament this week, as pressure continues to mount for him to step down. Zuma has insisted he would see through his term of office until 2019. His appearance in Parliament on Wednesday to answer questions comes three weeks before the Supreme Court of Appeal hears his application against the 783 charges against him.

The application in the SCA by Zuma on September 15 follows the decision of the High Court in Pretoria last March to reinstate the charges against him.

Zuma is also going to the Constitutional Court in October where the impeachment application by the EFF will be heard. The EFF went to the Constitutional Court last year for Zuma to face impeachment in Parliament over state capture allegations.

The last time Zuma was in Parliament to answer questions was in June where he promised to institute an inquiry into state capture. This was despite the fact that he was contesting the findings of the former public protector, Thuli Madonsela.

In her state of capture report, Madonsela said Zuma must ask Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng to appoint a sole judge to head a commission of inquiry.

But Zuma said this was the power vested in the president and nobody else.

The president has denied any involvement in state capture and said he would welcome an inquiry. Zuma narrowly survived a motion of no-confidence against him early this month after more than 26 ANC MPs voted with the opposition.

The ANC has started with action against some of the MPs who supported the motion to remove Zuma. The party wanted those MPs who made public statements on the matter hauled over the coals.

Former tourism minister Derek Hanekom has a few days left before he responds to ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe’s letter on why he should not be removed as the party’s chairperson for the National Disciplinary Committee.

Mantashe had given Hanekom 10 working days to respond to the matter.

Another vocal ANC MP Makhosi Khoza faces her own disciplinary action by the KwaZulu-Natal provincial structure next month after she repeatedly spoke out against Zuma.

Khoza has also said the action against Hanekom was to ensure that when she appeals her KZN decision, he would not be there as chairperson of the NDC.

The ANC has denied there was a witchhunt against its MPs who voted against Zuma in the motion of no-confidence debate.