President Jacob Zuma is not Queen Elizabeth and should not be shielded from criticism in parliament in the same way. This is the opinion of analyst Shadrack Gutto, speaking yesterday about ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashes call at the weekend for Zuma to be protected from humiliation by opposition parties when appearing in the legislature. South Africa has a very different constitutional history, and Zuma cannot demand the same treatment as the queen [Elizabeth II] as head of state in the British parliament, Gutto said. There is nothing wrong with calling for respect for the office of the president, said Gutto, but using the word protect is problematic. After the ANCs national executive committee meeting on Saturday, Mantashe issued a statement in which the NEC cautions against a trend of negatively exposing the head of state to disrespect and intended humiliation. Zuma and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa have been targeted by the Economic Freedom Fighters in parliament in recent weeks. On two occasions EFF leaders have been asked to leave the House: once for demanding that Zuma answer questions about the public protectors Nkandla report, and last week for asserting that Ramaphosa has blood on his hands with regard to the Marikana massacre. Gutto said this was very robust questioning and it was important that the president answered. Gutto said most MPs, including the Speaker of Parliament, have a very shallow understanding of the constitution and the rules of the legislature and need to be schooled in the system. The ANC did not respond to requests for comment.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 06:27:17 +0000
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