Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille has requested an urgent meeting with President Thabo Mbeki to discuss what she calls ”the growing perception of a constitutional and moral crisis” in South Africa.
”The indictment of [African National Congress president] Jacob Zuma and the pending corruption charges against [police National Commissioner] Jackie Selebi have given rise to a widespread sense that South Africa is facing its gravest moral and constitutional crisis since the founding of our democracy,” she said in a statement on Wednesday.
The meeting would include discussion on ways to protect institutions of state from being abused by the powerful to safeguard their interests.
”The implication of the police national commissioner and the ruling party’s presidential candidate in massive corruption cases is but one reason for this perception.
”It is fuelled further by mounting evidence that state institutions such as the South African Police Service, the Scorpions and the National Prosecuting Authority are being interfered with by powerful political and non-political interests,” Zille said.
The situation had to be confronted and resolved without delay.
”With this meeting, I hope to set in motion a process that re-establishes public confidence that the rule of law will apply to all South Africans, whatever their positions, without fear or favour,” she said. — Sapa