Cope to give Zuma session in Parliament a miss

17 May 2016 - 10:05 By TMG Digital

President Jacob Zuma giving answers and a snap debate on the Vuwani crisis on Tuesday “kick-start activities of the National Assembly (NA) for this week”‚ but the Congress of the People (Cope) won’t be taking part.This‚ Dennis Bloem said‚ was because the party “will not make light of Mr Zuma breaking his oath of office”.“He was admonished by the Constitutional Court for transgressing the Constitution. What Mr Zuma did has to have repercussions but none are forthcoming‚” he added.The party would “continue to discuss its absence from the legislature and continue to look for avenues to make the ConCourt judgment count”‚ Bloem said of Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng’s ruling that Zuma violated the Constitution in his handling of the Nkandla matter.“Likewise‚ Parliament also failed South Africa and the nation by acting in a servile and ingratiating manner and meekly surrendering the right of the legislature to exist independent of the other two arms of government‚” he added.“Therefore‚ while Mr Zuma will be in parliament tomorrow‚ nothing he will say there will be of any consequence and everything he does there will be lacking in legitimacy. “We remain convinced that an early election will have to occur to clean up the mess and get South Africa back on the constitutional path.The Parliamentary Communication Services said Tuesday’s agenda included: “The Vuwani crisis debate titled ‘Ways to resolve the crisis in Vuwani to restore the people’s rights to human dignity and basic services’ will be held in the morning sitting followed by the president’s answers to questions for oral reply in the afternoon sitting”.Vuwani in Limpopo has been wracked by violent demarcation protests which have left more than 20 schools destroyed. - TMG Digital..

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