United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader Bantu Holomisa. Picture Gallo Images/Phill Magakoe
United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader Bantu Holomisa has criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa’s request to be given time to consider the final state capture report.
Holomisa said the president has “no legal business” asking to keep the report “secret for four months”.
He suggested that Acting Chief Justice Raymond Zondo should present the report himself. He also wants the report to be presented ‘live’.
“Mr President, given that you were a witness in the commission, I’d suggest that Judge Zondo should instead present the report to Parliament live. Finished and klaar,” Holomisa wrote on Twitter.
One SA Movement leader Mmusi Maimane also weighed in, saying Ramaphosa has taken too long to consider reports in the past.
“We cannot have any delays. We know how long ‘applying the mind’ has taken before. I support a live presentation to parliament and an immediate release of the full document to the public,” said Maimane.
On Tuesday, Zondo was given another extension to submit his report. He now has until February 2022 to hand the report to the president.
Ramaphosa will then have until the end of June 2022 to submit a copy of the report to Parliament and reveal what he will do with the State Capture Inquiry’s recommendations.
Ramaphosa approached the court to clarify if he could decide when to release the report. He also wanted the court to clear up whether he had to deliver it to Parliament within two weeks of receiving it.
This came after Zondo asked the Pretoria High Court for yet another extension to finalise the report.
ALSO READ: Zondo seeks yet another extension for state capture commission
Holomisa isn’t the first person to question whether Ramaphosa is the right person to receive Zondo’s report.
Civil society organisation Democracy in Action wrote to Zondo asking him to determine if there may be a conflict of interest in Ramaphosa’s receiving the report.
The organisation cited concerns about Ramaphosa being the deputy president when state capture was rampant.
It also said that he was implicated by some witnesses at the Zondo commission.
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