OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Wednesday 9.30PM.
PRESIDENT Nelson Mandela’s office on Wednesday said that an apology from Mineral and Energy Affairs Minister Penuell Maduna to Parliament for breaking the House’s rules by making inappropriate suggestions during a question session should be sufficient, presidential aide Parks Mankahlana said.
A multi-party parliamentary committee on Tuesday found Maduna guilty of making “inappropriate statements” in Parliament in June 1997, when he suggested that auditor-general Henri Kluever had failed to disclose a R170-million “loss” from the Central Energy Fund.
Now that Maduna has agreed to apologise, Mankahlana said, the president’s office considers it appropriate to give the minister an opportunity to resolve the dispute in a manner that acknowledges the dignity and integrity of Parliament.
“The President, therefore, does not deem it necessary to consider any additional remedy to the situation … as the matter is essentially for Parliament to deal with,” he said.
Earlier reports, however, indicated that Maduna refuses to accept that he made a mistake, saying he will discuss the matter with the African National Congress and his lawyers before withdrawing the statements.