Dandala wants arms deal probe

2009-06-24 21:19

Cape Town - Congress of the People parliamentary leader Mvume Dandala on Wednesday renewed Cope's call for a judicial commission of inquiry into the arms deal.

Speaking in the National Assembly during debate on President Jacob Zuma's budget vote, he said the ongoing saga of the arms deal continued to eat the heart of the country's body politic.

"Hasn't the time come for the president to bite the bullet and appoint an independent judicial commission to deal with this matter decisively and transparently?" he asked.

It did not help the nation's morals to keep hearing allegations of new evidence and denials if the whole processes was not dealt with openly, Dandala said.

Blurring the lines between party and state

Dandala also asked Zuma to assure the nation that state institutions were not being used to pursue political ends, such as surveillance of political opposition parties.

He further called on Zuma to stop blurring the lines between party and state, such as on June 16 when ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema was invited to make a speech at a state platform.

"The South African people want to acknowledge the important historical days of their nationhood without feeling bulldozed into partisan events," he said.
 

- SAPA