DA slams ANC’s proposed amnesty deal for Zuma, calls it an insult to SA

Speaking at the launch of her presidential campaign in Kliptown, Soweto, the human settlements minister alluded to the ruling party considering an amnesty deal for Zuma, who faces the reinstatement of 783 charges of corruption and is due to be in court on September 15.

“From time to time, the ANC does come around to discussing issues of amnesty. The possibility of amnesty is something that is part and parcel of the character of the ANC. It would not be something that is out of the ordinary. My view, if I am elected leader of the ANC, would be to ensure that whatever happens, the best interests of the ANC prevails,” she told City Press.

She added that Zuma would be forgiven if he showed commitment to correcting the wrongs he had made and brought those aligned to him back into the fold.

The suggestion by the ANC that an amnesty deal should be granted to President Jacob Zuma for the corruption charges against him, as this will unify the factionalised party, is outrageous and should be dismissed with the contempt that it deserves, the Democratic Alliance said on Sunday.

The DA said it would continue to fight for Zuma to have his day in court. No amnesty deal should be granted to the man who – with the help of his party – sold South Africa to the highest bidders, DA federal executive chairman James Selfe said.

While the legal battle to hold Zuma accountable for the 783 charges of corruption, fraud, and racketeering against him had been ongoing for close to a decade, it was still far from over. Zuma had been abusing the court system to delay his inevitable date with the law. He would not succeed, Selfe said.

The ANC had used every opportunity to shield Zuma from accountability and the latest proposed “political settlement” was hardly surprising at all. It was symptomatic of a party that had completely lost its way and too far gone to ever self-correct.

“We have filed answering affidavits to Mr Zuma’s appeal against the high court’s ruling that the NPA’s [National Prosecuting Authority’s] decision to drop the 700 charges against him was irrational and we will appear again in court on 15 September 2017,” he said.

“It is outrageous that the ANC is considering amnesty for its leader because they have completely failed to hold him and those politically connected to him accountable for running this country into the ground. This latest amnesty move proves that the ANC has been complicit in undermining the constitution and condoning the abuse of power.

“Such amnesty will set the precedent that powerful politicians deserve special treatment and will violate a sacred constitutional principle. Namely, that all citizens are equal before the law.

“The ANC cannot be allowed to continue abusing our democratic institutions to protect one man. ANC factionalism should not be an excuse to subvert the authority of the constitution. The DA will continue using every legal avenue to protect the Constitution,” Selfe said.

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