ANCYL defends Zuma, slams capture report

THE ANC Youth League (ANCYL) has jumped to the defence of President Jacob Zuma by lashing out at former public protector Thuli Madonsela for “rushing” her report on state capture.

The ANCYL yesterday described the report as halfbaked and full of innuendos, hearsay and untested evidence.

It also defended Eskom chief executive Brian Molefe against alle gations made against him in the report.

The defence of Zuma by the ANCYL comes on the heels of the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans’ Association (MKMVA) and the ANC Women’s League’s support.

ANCYL s pokesperson Mlondi Mkhize called on all those implicated in the report to take it on judicial review.

“We cannot but question why the for mer public protector opted to conveniently finalise a half-baked report, rushing to release her findings whilst she was fully aware that she had failed to conduct a fair and thorough investigation,” said Mkhize.

The ANCYL’s support also comes as the president prepares to face some of the party’s senior leaders on Monday – a week after the release of the report.

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa told Parliament this week it would not be that simple for Zuma to go now be- cause of ANC processes.

The ANCYL, the ANCWL and MKMVA have backed Zuma to complete his term in 2019. ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa would not say yesterday whether the national working committee (NWC) would discuss the report on state capture. He said the agenda would be known when it sits on Monday. “Nobody knows the agenda of the NWC until they get into the meeting,” said Kodwa.

The ANCYL said the state capture needed to be challenged because the protector had not given the other parties the opportunity to respond to the allegations against them.

The pressure for Zuma to go mounted this week after the release of the report.

This week the ANC said the report would allow South Africa to move forward. It warned that officials needed to be wary of private interests.

The ruling party said following the release of the report that it would intensify its fight against corruption. It said it would follow up on the decision of the last national executive committee to conduct lifestyle audits of its leader. The top six officials would declare their financial interests to secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, it added.

Kodwa said these were i mmediate i nterventions the party was taking to deal with corruption as stalwarts heightened their campaign for Zuma’s removal from office.