Parliament’s speaker can’t give the media access to Nkandla. Neither can it be granted by the member of parliament chairing the ad hoc committee into the spending of taxpayers’ money on President Jacob Zuma’s homestead.“Such authority resides elsewhere‚” said a statement from the office of the African National Congress’ (ANC) chief whip‚ Stone Sizani‚ on Wednesday.While it didn’t say where the authority did dwell‚ the statement said the chief whip’s office “is disappointed by the unfortunate allegations levelled against parliament by Sanef (the South African National Editors Forum) regarding the institution's inability to grant journalists permission to accompany the ad hoc committee members to the president's private residence in Nkandla”. “The allegations‚” the statement continued‚ “are without basis‚ ill-informed and reflect a misunderstanding of the basic functioning of parliament and the scope of its powers granted to it by the Constitution.”“The Constitution of South Africa is instructive that parliament must conduct its business in a manner that is open‚ transparent‚ accountable and thus must open its work to the public‚ including the media.“The institution has adhered strictly to this Constitutional principle without fail‚ other than in very few instances where the law and the Constitution would direct it otherwise.”The chief whip pointed out that while parliament’s speaker has the “power over ensuring public access to parliamentary sittings within and outside the seat of Parliament in Cape Town‚ as she has done regarding the ad hoc committee meetings currently taking place at the KZN Legislature in Pietermaritzburg‚ it is beyond her powers to decide who should access the private family home of the president”.“Sanef's expectation that Parliament should have the authority over who accesses the president's home and its subsequent criticism of the institution for its inability to do so is without foundation and unfair‚” the statement continued.“The ANC would be the first to speak out against any undue interference with or limitations on media's right to media freedom. However‚ we believe that Media 24 did itself a disservice by directing its request to the inappropriate authority.”For the time being‚ the media will have to make do with “access to public areas around the homestead such as the helipad‚ the clinic and houses for personnel”.-RDM News Wire..