Chief whip accepts suspension
2003-10-22 12:21
Cape Town - African Christian Democratic Party chief whip Louis Green has accepted his suspension from parliament's ethics committee looking into allegations that deputy president Jacob Zuma breached the code of conduct for MPs.
"I have accepted the speaker's (Dr Frene Ginwala) ruling that I will be suspended from ethics committee meetings for as long as the committee is discussing the Zuma matter," he said on Wednesday.
However, Green said he believed he was justified in bringing to the public's notice information he had released to the media about the probe.
"Despite statements promising transparency and accountability in the government, my impression of the entire Zuma issue is that the ANC will continue to close ranks around the deputy president, regardless of what evidence is made available," said Green.
On Tuesday, Green was told by committee chairman Lluwellyn Landers that he was recommending that he be suspended because of information he gave to the media.
'Should not be muzzled'
This related specifically to Green's statement to the media on Monday that documents submitted to the committee indicating payments made to Zuma were loans, and were drawn up only recently.
"I am unsure of the exact rule of the ethics committee that was breached as none of this information is classified," said Green on Tuesday.
Members of the committee should not be muzzled on what was happening, and all political parties had the right to comment on issues that were not classified, he said.
The committee is looking into, among other things, whether Zuma breached the code by not properly disclosing his business interests and other benefits on the register of members' interests.
These allegedly include a series of payments of more than R1m from his financial advisor and Durban businessman Schabir Shaik, who is facing criminal charges of fraud and corruption.
The committee held a lengthy meeting on Monday afternoon, and is expected to hold a further one next week.
- SAPA