Public Protector Thuli Madonsela says her Nkandla report will be out by March 1.
She
said on Saturday that the ANC was definitely not delaying the release
of her report on security upgrades to President Jacob Zuma’s homestead
in Nkandla.
But she said she was awaiting an
answer from “a respondent”, and former police commissioner Bheki Cele
is the only person on record involved in a spat with Madonsela over
information in the report.
Yesterday Madonsela said she wanted the report released expeditiously.
And, she said: “The ANC wants the report out urgently.”
She was responding to claims there was pressure relating to the release in view of the May 7 election date announced on Friday.
Madonsela
shot down these claims, including those by DA parliamentary leader
Lindiwe Mazibuko this week that her office was under pressure to stall
the release of the report.
“That couldn’t be any further from the truth,” she told the Sunday Tribune.
Mazibuko this week expressed concern that Madonsela might bow to ANC pressure and delay the Nkandla report further.
There was some expectation that the report would be released today.
But Madonsela said she had never promised it by February 9.
“My
office never undertook to release the report tomorrow (today). Our
media release on the matter, which is still on our website, stated that I
would announce the date of release for the Nkandla report around the
9th.
“I will be unable to announce the date
of release because a respondent has requested an extension to provide
comments on provisional findings on February 14, 2014.”
This
week Mazibuko said Cele was being used to stall the report as part of a
strategy to delay the report and potential embarrassment to Zuma.
But on Saturday Madonsela said the claims of pressure placed on her were far-fetched.
She
said the report would finally be released “on a date to be announced
shortly after February 14. It will be no more than 14 days after the
last response is received on February 14.”
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