‘Funny’ state capture, ‘politicised’ downgrades – Zuma’s top comments

Nobody can force him to launch an inquiry commission into state capture, President Jacob Zuma told Parliament yesterday during a question-and-answer session in the National Assembly.

Zuma said former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s report on state capture – which ordered him to set up such a commission – had been “dealt with in a very funny way”, Zuma said, with “no fairness at all”.

“Even the manner in which the recommendation is, it is a president who has a right to appoint a commission. No one, no matter what position they hold, can instruct the president to establish a commission and even tell the process through which you must go. It’s very funny,” he said.

Madonsela’s remedial action stipulated that Zuma had until mid-December to establish a commission to investigate the unusual and seemingly very lucrative relationship between the state and the Gupta family.

Zuma has not indicated whether the matter would be taken to court in a bid to have the order overturned but did say that “[they] are working on it”.

Other pertinent questions the president faced in Parliament:

» The Inkatha Freedom Party’s Themba Msimang asked whether the government had reached consensus with students on tuition fees and what the government’s response was to #FeesMustfall?

Zuma said the government was committed to ensuring affordable higher education for all and to support poor and working class students to access higher education.

This includes the so-called “missing middle” who are students from households that have an annual income of between R120 000 and R600 000.

Zuma said the government would carry the fee increase through a gap-funding grant on behalf of all poor, working class and the “missing middle” families.

» The ANC’s Abram Radebe asked what the nature of our economic diplomacy would be over the next decade in light of the Brexit decision.

Zuma said the government was strengthening diplomatic ties so that when global parties made decisions that have serious economic consequences, they could do so “with sufficient appreciation of the implications of their decisions for our economy”.

He added that South Africa’s participation in global institutions such as the G20, Brics alliance and the World Economic Forum remained critical and central to the country’s strategy.

» The African Christian Democratic Party’s Steve Swart asked if the government had taken sufficient steps to satisfy the concerns expressed by ratings agencies earlier in 2016 in order to avoid a ratings downgrade.

Zuma said that more than R987 billion had been budgeted for infrastructure development over the medium-term expenditure framework period, with continual large investments in energy, transport and telecommunications.

“R1.4 billion has been committed by the private sector to support small business enterprises. Companies have pledged to offer internships to one million young workseekers.”

Zuma said South Africans had the tendency to politicise downgrades from ratings agencies and this was why there was a perception that the economy was in a junk state.

“South Africans highly politicise the rating agencies. There are many things happening in other countries that we do not even hear there’s been ratings. France in September was downgraded and the United Kingdom in June also downgraded.”

The Economic Freedom Fighters were not in attendance.

Ndileka Lujabe Journalist City Press p: +27 11 713 9001 w: www.citypress.co.za  e: ndileka.lujabe@citypress.co.za