· ACDP withholds support for Presidency Budget due to outstanding Nkandla report · Supports world leaders who urged Hamas to accept ceasefire and stop firing of rockets into Israel “Speaker,Last month, President Jacob Zuma gave an undertaking to the National Assembly Speaker to give parliament a “comprehensive and final report” on the Nkandla matter, but he’s failed to honour his word. The fact that the honourable President remained silent after missing the deadline he set, reflects badly on his character and integrity. He should have requested an extension, indicating when he would submit his final report. Could the President tell us today, when he is going to submit his report to parliament? The ACDP agrees with Public Protector, Adv.Thuli Madonsela’s recommendation thatPresident Zuma should pay back a portion of the money spent on non-security upgrades done at his home which include a visitor’s centre, swimming pool, cattle kraal and a chicken run. Regarding the Middle East crisis, I want to reiterate what my colleague, honourable Cheryllyn Dudley said yesterday during Budget Vote 5 on International Relations and Cooperation, ‘War is a terrible thing and that the ACDP is grieved by the loss of life and terrible anguish families on both sides of this tragedy are facing at this time.’ We also commend President Zuma for resisting the temptation to join the chorus of those who condemn Israel only in the conflict, conveniently ignoring the fact that Israel responded with air raids only after enduring a week of constant firing of rockets by Hamas into Israel. World powers have urged Hamas to accept a ceasefire and stop firing rockets into Israel. Even Arab League chief, Nabil al-Arabi has urged Hamas to accept an Egyptian proposal to end the fighting it had turned down last week. Speaker, it is important to remind honourable members that on the 28 March 1994, about 20,000 IFP supporters marched to Shell House in protest against the 1994 elections that they were planning to boycott. ANC security guards shot at them and killed about 19 of them, claiming that they were defending the ANC headquarters. Our country was shocked when the late former President Mandela admitted in Parliament on the 7th June 1995 that he had given the order to defend Shell House during the IFP march, ‘even if they have to kill people. This is nothing more or less than a statement of the common-law right to self-defence’, he said. Surely, Speaker, if the ANC believes they have the right to defend Shell House, which is now called Luthuli House, then Israel should also have the right to defend herself against rockets fired at them by Hamas. This is their common-law right to self-defence, as the late former President Mandela rightly said. If we want to talk about justice, then let there be justice for all. The ACDP will not consider supporting this Budget Vote until the President submits his outstanding report on the Nkandla matter and starts repaying what he owes of the public’s money.”
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 12:51:28 +0000
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