Zuma delays action on leases

President Jacob Zuma has asked for more information from Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde and national police commissioner Bheki Cele before he takes action on the police lease bungle.

Zuma sent a preliminary report to National Assembly speaker Max Sisulu on the steps he has taken since the public protector's damning finding that the leasing of new offices for the police in Pretoria and Durban was illegal.

In the letter, Zuma indicates that he has requested more information from Mahlangu-Nkabinde before he can decide if action should be taken against her as recommended by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela.

He has asked Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa to obtain more information from Cele about his role in the aborted process to rent space to the tune of R1.5-billion.

The public works minister has, in turn, requested a meeting with parliament's public works portfolio committee to explain her role in the saga.

The public protector's report has also been sent to parliament's public accounts watchdog, Scopa, for deliberation. But indications are that it is the officials at public works and police departments who will be the ones to face the music.

In the letter to Sisulu, which was tabled before the National Assembly yesterday, Zuma says:

• Mahlangu-Nkabinde must indicate what action should be taken against officials in her department who flouted supply-chain management and public finance management regulations;
• Public works has placed a six-month moratorium on procurement of goods and services in a bid to tighten its processes;
• An independent person is to be appointed to investigate the firing of a public works whistleblower in KwaZulu-Natal who handled the police portfolio; and
• Mthethwa will determine whether action should be taken against police officials who violated procurement procedures.

Zuma is under pressure to act on Madonsela's damning recommendations, which have been interpreted as advice to the president to fire Mahlangu-Nkabinde and to the police minister to sanction Cele.

But Zuma told speaker Sisulu: "After considering the reports from the two ministers, I have further requested that they provide me with information on matters that I thought were not adequately addressed in their reports without delay. This additional information will enable me to take appropriate action."

The lease deals were first exposed by the Sunday Times, which found that two buildings - one in central Pretoria and the other in Durban - were to have been leased at "inflated rates" from businessman Roux Shabangu.

In a separate reply to a question in parliament, Mahlangu-Nkabinde pointed out that the moratorium on building projects applied only to new work, not existing projects. She said it would be in place only temporarily to allow her department to review its supply-chain management processes.

Sisulu's spokesman, Sukhthi Naidoo, said Zuma's letter had been tabled in the National Assembly for MPs' perusal. Parliament would await the president's full report on the saga, she said.

DA parliamentary leader Athol Trollip blasted Zuma, accusing him of passing the buck instead of acting on the public protector's recommendations.

"The president, as the head of the executive, should no longer be permitted to delegate responsibility to other ministers for ultimately deciding the fate of the national police commissioner," Trollip said.

"It is the president that must take this decision," he said.

COPE MP Dennis Bloem said he was surprised by Mahlangu-Nkabinde's sudden enthusiasm to brief parliament. "We hope Minister Mahlangu-Nkabinde is not approaching the committee because she wants the ANC majority to help squash the matter," he said.