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Zille spurns Khampepe extension
26/03/2008 20:20 - (SA)
Cape Town - President Thabo Mbeki is expected to respond to a Democratic Alliance request for him to release the Khampepe's Commission's report.
DA leader Helen Zille declined the Presidency's request on Wednesday to extend the deadline for it to release the report, requested by the party in February in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act.
Zille said: "I have today written to the Presidency rejecting the request for an extension on today's deadline (and) requested that the Khampepe Commission report be made available by the end of the day to meet the deadline."
However, Mbeki's spokesperson Mukoni Ratshitanga told Sapa late on Wednesday afternoon that the act gave the Presidency until Thursday to respond.
In view of the fact that Zille had declined the request for an extension, Mbeki would therefore respond on Thursday.
Ratshitanga declined to indicate whether the response would include the report's release.
In terms of the act, the Presidency should respond to the request for information within 30 days.
In a letter to Zille on Tuesday, deputy information officer in the Presidency Sibongile Sigodi said she was still in the process of taking instructions from Mbeki with regard to the DA's request.
"In light of the above and without any intention to prolong the matter unnecessarily, I request you to grant me an extension in order to enable me to obtain full instructions from the office of the president," she said.
Responding to Sigodi on Wednesday, Zille said she had considered the request.
Zille said "Given that the legislation to disband the Directorate of Special Operations (Scorpions) is due to come before Parliament in the next few weeks, I cannot grant an extension of the deadline.
Holomisa also asked for report
"The legislative process will be fundamentally flawed unless the public and Members of Parliament have full access to the Khampepe Commission Report before the bill is introduced."
Meanwhile, the United Democratic Movement on Wednesday also made an application in terms of the act for Mbeki to release the report.
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said the party's decision to launch the official request followed the Presidency's failure to respond to an earlier informal request the party had made in "the public interest".
"On March 4, we wrote to President Mbeki requesting the Khampepe Report in light of the fact that we - and the public at large - deserved access to this information... for meaningful discussion in Parliament... about the proposed legislation.
"They have not responded to date," said Holomisa.
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