Zuma in the hot seat in Parliament

Zuma in the hot seat in Parliament

President Jacob Zuma says they have gone to great lengths to safeguard the independence of the judiciary.

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He has been responding to a question in the National Assembly.

EFF leader Julius Malema has quizzed Zuma on whether he has rapped the Police Minister over the knuckled for statements that judges meet with certain people to produce certain judgements. 

Zuma says he knows nothing about this.

''Unfortunately I didn't hear the minister, it's the first time I'm hearing of it. Now it's going to be very difficult because I don't know under what circumstances it was said at all. I don't think I don't think I can stand and judge however I'm certain that if I had heard the minister I would have interacted with him,'' said.

DA leader Mmusi Maimane has questioned President Jacob Zuma on the discrepancies between the statement he made in 2010 on Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir versus the government's actions five years later. 

Referencing a 2010 parliamentary session, Maimane said at the time Zuma said the country would abide by the law in response questions about whether the government would arrest Al-Bashir if he came to South Africa.

''Mr President, my struggle here today is that, what has changed since 2010 that recently in contravention of a high court order that said your government should have in fact arrested Omar al Bashir, a man wanted for war crimes, for genocide against Africans. Your government assisted in allowing him to leave South Africa,'' he said.

Zuma has maintained that Al-Bashir visit to SA was at the invitation of the African Union not South Africa. Earlier in the session the EFF's Mbuyiseni Ndlozi cried foul saying their question on Nkandla has been deliberately placed last on a list of questions. 

"This house must have the highest authority over anyone. We're saying that South Africans know you've all colluded to put this question as number six so that it is not answered by the time, the time finishes. It must come in after the DA question so that the South Africans are able to hear President Zuma respond as to when is he going to pay back the money," he said.

Member of the African Christian Democratic Party Steve Swart says they were denied the opportunity to put a question forward at the last  session due to what he calls the disruptions of the EFF.

"They can not complain today that their question will be crowded out, if it is so, because we're wasting time now. Our question was crowded out last time. They could have the same opportunity. Let's continue with the questioning Madam Speaker," he said.

Meanwhile, speaker Baleka Mbete assured all MPs that the President will reply all  questions. 

(File photo: Gallo Images)

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