South Africa’s DA party asks court to compel Zuma to set up influence-peddling inquiry

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s main opposition party said on Monday it had asked the Constitutional Court to compel President Jacob Zuma to establish a judicial inquiry into alleged influence-peddling in his government.

The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) application came days after Zuma asked the High Court to set aside a report by the former Public Protector which called for an investigation into whether he and some cabinet members and state companies had acted improperly.

“The DA has filed papers in the Constitutional Court to seek a declaratory order that President Jacob Zuma has violated his constitutional obligations in not giving effect to the remedial action set out in Public Protector’s State Capture report by establishing a Commission of Inquiry by 2 December 2016,” the party said in a statement.

“Our application seeks the Constitutional Court to compel President Zuma to give effect to this remedial action and appoint the commission within ten days of the order of the court.”

Zuma has described the report, drawn up by the then Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, as “unfair” in parliament. He wants the court to send the report back to the anti-graft unit, now headed by Busisiwe Mkhwebane, for further investigation and says Madonsela had no right to call for a judicial inquiry.

The watchdog’s report, released on Nov. 2, focused on allegations that businessmen Ajay, Atul and Rajesh Gupta had influenced the appointment of ministers. Zuma and the Gupta brothers have denied the accusations.

The report – which Zuma had sought to block through the courts before it was made public – called for a judicial inquiry be set up by the president and for a judge to be appointed by the chief justice within 30 days of its release.

Zuma, 74, has repeatedly denied accusations of corruption since taking office in 2009.

(Reporting by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; editing by Andrew Roche)

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