Maimane to lay criminal charges against Zuma

DA leader Mmusi Maimane plans personally to lay criminal charges against President Jacob Zuma and his Cabinet on Tuesday.

The charges will include corruption and racketeering — and possibly treason as well, on the grounds that Zuma has undermined the sovereignty of the state.

The DA has been working with its lawyers over the past 24 hours to finalise the criminal charges.

"Jacob Zuma is without doubt the head of a criminal organisation," Maimane said at a media briefing Monday.

The DA will also ask National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete on Monday for the establishment of an ad hoc committee of inquiry to investigate the allegations of corruption against Zuma and ministers such as Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Des van Rooyen and Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane.

The committee would have a tight time frame and have to submit its report by end-July.

The DA argues that the 11-member committee should be tasked with looking into the evidence that emerged at the weekend showing the extent of the influence of the Guptas over the Cabinet and state-owned enterprises.

It should have the power to summon the Guptas themselves as well as to summon Zuma to answer questions about the authenticity of e-mailed correspondence involving the Guptas and Cabinet ministers.

According to allegations at the weekend, at least five Cabinet ministers were in the pockets of the Guptas, including Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba, Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown and Public Service and Administration Minister Faith Muthambi, Maimane noted.

These ministers should also be called to the ad hoc committee to answer questions, Maimane said.

The National Assembly will have to pass a resolution for the establishment of an ad hoc committee. If Mbete refused to accede to the DA's request, it would take the matter to court, Maimane said, because Parliament had a constitutional obligation to hold the executive to account.

"We believe Parliament must do its job and if it fails to do so we will take the matter to court to ensure that this committee is established."

'Rot is deep'

The DA leader said the ANC national executive committee's failure to recall Zuma as president at the weekend was evidence that Zuma's project of state capture was an ANC project.

The ANC had chosen to protect a criminal syndicate rather than take action, he said.

"The rot is in fact deep," Maimane said. A shadow state was being created which enabled Zuma and his cronies to steal from the people through patronage.

"It is clear that it is no longer the ANC or Jacob Zuma who are running the country… it is the Guptas," Maimane said.

"No one has ever voted for a Gupta in SA, but the ANC has allowed them full control of our nation and as such, they have violated the integrity of SA.

"The new state capture allegations, which emerged yesterday, show the extent of the rot. Multiple Cabinet ministers, public officials and the upper leadership of state-owned entities have been implicated in a criminal syndicate to control the resources of our country, for their own selfish benefit."