Mazibuko: Mbete's remarks 'mock' the Constitution
The DA says comments by Baleka Mbete are yet another attempt by the ANC to defend Jacob Zuma.
CAPE TOWN - The Democratic Alliance (DA) says ANC national chairperson Baleka Mbete is trying to use culture to protect President Jacob Zum a from scrutiny.
Yesterday, Mbete said a man's kraal is a holy place in African tradition and shouldn't be interfered with, while referring to Zuma's private Nkandla residence in Kwazulu-Natal.
DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko says Mbete's remarks are yet another attempt by the ruling party to defend Zuma.
"The remarks she [Mbete] made should be rejected as they mock Constitution-loving South Africans who believe in people's cultural diversity."
Mbete also said the ANC hasn't yet made a decision on whether to challenge Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's Nkandla report in court.
She said the party has also not yet decided on whether to act against Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa for his role in the multi-million rand upgrades to Nkandla.
Madonsela found Mthethwa's conduct in declaring the homestead a national key point to be improper, amounting to maladministration.
Mbete said the ruling party agrees that the Nkandla upgrades had to be probed due to overspending in government, but she also suggested Madonsela went too far with some of the comments in her report on the scandal.
Mbete also said the ruling party disagrees "very strongly" with Madonsela's finding that Zuma and his family benefitted unduly from the upgrades.
Madonsela's report, which was released on 19 March, found that Zuma improperly benefitted from the R246 million upgrades and that he violated the executive ethics code.
The document recommended the president account to Parliament and pay back part of the total sum.
Zuma has said in public that he didn't ask for the upgrades and would not pay back any of the money to the state.
He has pledged to deliver a full response on the matter after receiving the Special Investigating Unit (SIU)'s report after next month's elections.
National Assembly speaker Max Sisulu has authorised the establishment of an ad-hoc committee to consider Zuma's response to the report.
ZUMA RECEIVES HERO'S WELCOME
Zuma earlier received a hero's welcome at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg where he is attending an Easter church service.
The crowd of around 50,000 people shouted Zuma's name when he walked onto the field.
The president is also expected to attend another service in Durban later this afternoon.
Earlier this week, Zuma was booed at a rally in Limpopo.
