DA to approach court to compel Zuma to respond to question

The Democratic Alliance will approach the courts in a bid to compel President Jacob Zuma to answer a question about his legal costs.

At a media briefing on Monday‚ party leader Mmusi Maimane said that Zuma’s attempt to avoid answering his question about the legal costs incurred in fighting the irrational decision by the NPA to drop the 783 charges of corruption and racketeering against him during last week’s parliamentary question and answer session was “nothing short of an insult”.

Zuma did not quantify the cost of his legal fees‚ but said he had been defending the case‚ brought by a political party (the DA).

Maimane said the question was very specific and Zuma had received the question 16 days in advance.

He said the case was “the most expensive case we have ever fought” and said Zuma was using taxpayers’ money to pay his "bottomless" legal fees.

James Selfe‚ the party's federal chairman said the papers would be filed in the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday or Thursday.

The party hopes that the court will order Zuma to answer the question.

The parliamentary presiding officers will also be named in the papers as the party says the National Assembly must ensure that the executive is held to account.

"The Nkandla judgement was highly critical of the National Assembly because it failed to hold the president to account‚" Selfe said.

The party also intends moving a motion of no confidence in deputy speaker Lechesa Tsenoli who was chairing the session.

DA chief whip John Steenhuisen said Tsenoli had “abdicated his responsibility in the most cowardly way possible” by allowing Zuma to avoid answering the question.