The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) has called on President Thabo Mbeki to appoint an independent commission of inquiry into the arms deal.
The fall-out from the 1999 arms deal has had a devastating effect on South Africa, FF+ leader Pieter Mulder told a media briefing at Parliament on Thursday, immediately after the delivery of a memorandum to Mbeki’s Tuynhuys office.
”We really think it’s one of the most serious crises we’ve been in for the past 14 years,” he told journalists.
The FF+ proposed that the commission be made up of three senior retired judges, including former Constitutional Court Judge Richard Goldstone, Constitutional Court Chief Justice Pius Langa, and Appeals Court Judge President Lex Mpati.
”An independent commission of inquiry will be free from any political bias, which allegedly played a role in the investigation into the arms deal by the Public Protector, Auditor General and the National Prosecuting Authority.
”It is further proposed that such a commission will have the powers and authority to call on all relevant parties to appear before it and give evidence which might have a bearing on the arms deal,” Mulder said.
South Africa is in desperate need of clarity on the arms deal. Fall-out from it includes allegations against senior African National Congress (ANC) politicians, accusations against the president himself, the attempted prosecution of ANC president Jacob Zuma and ”political instability experienced at various levels of society”.
Urgent steps have to be taken to ensure that all allegations of corruption and fraud levelled at politicians — which have tainted South Africa’s international image — are resolved.
”Appointing an independent commission of inquiry could go a long way in clearing the perception that the arms deal and the legal and political fall-out resulting from it has become a political battle originating from the contest for the presidency of the ANC,” said Mulder.
”It could also clear [Mbeki] and the Presidency of the allegations of political interference in the prosecution of [Zuma]. We really believe this is the only way to get us out of this mess,” Mulder said. — Sapa