Mazibuko warns on Zuma impeachment

DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko vowed on Tuesday (18/02/2014) to table a motion to impeach President Jacob Zuma if the public protector's report on Nkandla fingered him.

Speaking in the National Assembly during debate on Zuma's state-of-the-nation address, she told MPs she wanted to deliver a very clear message on the Nkandla "scandal", which involved spending over R206 million of public money on Zuma's private homestead in Kwazulu-Natal.

"I want to use this opportunity to send a very clear message to our honourable members, that should the honourable president be involved in any wrongdoing in the public protector's report on the Nkandla scandal, I will not hesitate to table a motion to impeach him in this House."

Mazibuko said she could not guarantee opposition parties would win such an impeachment vote, but millions of South Africans would be calling on MPs to do the right thing.

"They know the real story - that our country cannot afford another five years of President Zuma's administration."

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's report on Nkandla is set to be released on March 1.

Earlier, Mazibuko said Zuma should have resigned the moment the story broke that more than R206m of public money was spent on upgrades to his private homestead at Nkandla.

She also told the House that the past five years of Zuma's "poor leadership" had reversed much of the progress South Africa had made up to 2009. - Sapa