Zuma lied and must be held accountable: Mapaila

Mapaila has confirmed that he has deposed an affidavit against President Zuma to the Inspector General of Intelligence, over the infamous intelligence report, used to axe former Finance minister Pravin Gordhan.

Mapaila was part of the Mandela Legacy dialogue panel on Sunday evening at the historic Liliesleaf Farm, alongside ANC MP Makhosi Khoza and Save SA's Sipho Pityana.

The discussion was centred around corruption, state capture and the alleged Gupta influence over state-owned enterprises.

President Zuma told senior ANC officials and the tripartite alliance that he relied on an intelligence report which accused Gordhan and his deputy, Mcebisi Jonas, of conspiring against the state, when he removed them.

Mapaila says Zuma is now denying this and the SACP will not sit back quietly.

"I have noticed many lies told by the President, because he had gone on to court to refute the fact that when he was removing Gordhan and Jonas, he used the intelligence report and he had briefed us on that. I could not understand how he could lie to us, or tell us the truth and lie to the public," says Mapaila.

Mapaila also admitted that the alliance made a grave error in supporting President Zuma for the presidency. 

He says that decision has now plunged the country into crisis.

"I offer an unconditional apology. It was a terrible thing we have done. We apologise. We should not have backed President Zuma form the onset. We should have rejected whatever notion that he may have promoted to try and create an impression that he was the victim. We now understand that he is the master of the victimhood syndrome."