Make JZ account for Nkandla bill

NELSON Mandela Bay ANC MP Cedric Frolick is likely to lead the special parliamentary committee to probe President Jacob Zuma’s response to public protector Thuli Madonsela’s report on the Nkandla upgrades.

Frolick was selected as one of seven ANC MPs to form part of the 12 member committee commissioned by National Assembly speaker Max Sisulu. The ANC has proposed that Frolick chairs the committee.

With an overwhelming number of ANC MPs on this panel, it is bound to be met with public scepticism and its credibility will be put under intense scrutiny. And rightfully so. The ANC has never been prepared to consider that Zuma has to be held accountable for unduly benefitting from the non-security upgrades, as Madonsela subsequently found.

Instead the party has repeatedly jumped to close ranks, firing a litany of excuses ranging from unacceptable to downright ridiculous – all to shield the president from shouldering any kind of responsibility for a scandal that so epitomises the erosion of the ruling party’s moral stand in the last two decades.

While it makes procedural sense, the inclusion of MPs such as Luwellyn Landers – who as the chairman of the justice committee has had public spats with Madonsela over how she does her work – will bring into question the committee’s ability to be objective in its work.

Frolick has predictably assured us that the committee’s work would be above reproach. We believe the only way to ensure that the committee properly exercises its duty of oversight is for it to be transparent.

We also believe Zuma must be called to appear before the committee.

Zuma needs to tell us how he plans to repay taxpayers for the pool, kraal and all other lavish non-security upgrades we were forced to pay for.

If this committee is worth its salt it will without fear or favour ensure that the president properly accounts for every finding in Madonsela’s report.