Zuma misses deadline to provide reasons for Cabinet reshuffle – DA

President Jacob Zuma missed the deadline to hand over his reasons and record of decision for his midnight Cabinet reshuffle in March, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said yesterday.

In a statement DA federal executive chairperson James Selfe said the deadline for the president to submit the documents to the official opposition was at 4pm on Thursday afternoon.

Zuma filed an application to the Pretoria High Court on Wednesday appealing Judge Bashier Vally’s landmark ruling last week, which ordered him to supply the DA with his reasons for the reshuffle after the party approached the court on an urgent basis on April 24.

“Given that President Zuma has only filed an application to appeal handing over his record of decision, he should still have provided his reasons by close of business today, for the cataclysmic axing of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas,” Selfe said.

He said there was a material difference between a record of decision and the reasons for the decision.

“The record pertains to any and all documentation upon which he relied to make the decision. The reasons for the decision goes to the heart of what led to the decision, essentially the key information which then informed his decision, not all the information.”

Zuma’s lawyers admitted in open court that the DA and the country were entitled to the reasons for the Cabinet reshuffle, if not the record, Selfe added.

“We have already been in touch with Judge Vally’s registrar to request an urgent date to argue the application for leave to appeal. We hope as early as next week,” he said.

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