ID President Patricia de Lille has slammed the suggestion by Business
Unity South Africa (Busa) Chief Executive Jerry Vilakazi that a
political solution be found to ANC President Jacob Zuma's corruption
case.

'The ANC must accept the independence of the judiciary and the
separation of powers,' Ms De Lille says.

'This matter [of Zuma] must be brought to closure so that the country
can proceed with certainty of political leadership. If it requires a
political solution, let a political solution be found,' said Vilakazi.
[M&G]

The move is also supported by the chairperson of Parliament's justice
committee, Yunus Carrim.

'The ANC should have thought about political certainty when they voted
a man charged with corruption into the party's top position,' Ms De
Lille says.

Responding to Vilakazi's assertion that the state had over 5 years in
which to finalise charges against Zuma, De Lille says 'if justice has
indeed been delayed then that is a matter for the courts to decide.

'Corruption is one of the most severe crimes one can be charged with
because it diverts resources from the poor, who represent the majority
in our country today,' says De Lille.

'This arms deal corruption allegations against Zuma must come before
the courts. If Zuma is found guilty then he will have been proved to
be a crook. If that is the case, then he will belong in jail and not
the presidency.

'The ANC has had almost 10 years to come clean about its role and the
role of its leaders in spending billions on weapons in the arms deal
in return for kickbacks, but it has conducted a massive cover-up
campaign instead,' De Lille says.

De Lille is currently in the United States attending the Democratic
Party Convention to witness Barack Obama accepting the nomination to
run for the position of President of the United States. If elected, he
will be the first black President of that country.

For media enquiries, please call Steven Otter, ID Media Officer, on 084 233 3811