News / Africa
SA white party calls for inquiry into Grace Mugabe's immunity
21 Aug 2017 at 18:33hrs | Views
South Africa's main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for a parliamentary inquiry into the African National Congress (ANC) government's decision to give diplomatic immunity to Zimbabwe's First Lady Grace Mugabe.
In a statement, the party said it was "simply inexplicable" how Mrs Mugabe, 52, was allowed to "flee the country in the dead of night to avoid criminal prosecution" in the assault case against her.
"It illustrates how unrepentant the ANC government is and, following its complicity in allowing Sudanese President Omar al- Bashir to escape an international arrest warrant [in 2015], shows that the ANC government will continue to do exactly what it wants to protect their dodgy friend," the DA added in a statement.
Below is the statement from the DA in full:
The DA will be demanding an immediate Parliamentary inquiry into government's complicity in allowing Zimbabwean First Lady, Grace Mugabe, to flee the country in the dead of night to avoid criminal prosecution.
The inquiry should call on the ministers of Police, International Relations and Cooperation, and Defence and Military Veterans to account for their failures.
It is simply inexplicable how this has happened again. It illustrates how unrepentant the ANC government is and, following its complicity in allowing Sudanese president Omar al Bashir to escape an international arrest warrant, shows that the ANC government will continue to do exactly what it wants to protect their dodgy friends.
This government has no more legitimacy in the arena of international diplomacy and displays a total disregard for the rule of law. Indeed, the ANC has turned South Africa into a playground for the political elite and their criminal associates to act with impunity.
The DA in Parliament will never allow this state of affairs to continue and will demand a thorough inquiry into this latest and predictable failure by the Executive. The ANC is content to sell South Africa to the highest bidder, but they must be reminded that Parliament is neither captured nor for sale.
The ANC can no longer be trusted to govern. South Africans have had enough. This is why the motion to usher in new elections should be supported. We cannot afford another two years of the ANC's disastrous term.
In a statement, the party said it was "simply inexplicable" how Mrs Mugabe, 52, was allowed to "flee the country in the dead of night to avoid criminal prosecution" in the assault case against her.
"It illustrates how unrepentant the ANC government is and, following its complicity in allowing Sudanese President Omar al- Bashir to escape an international arrest warrant [in 2015], shows that the ANC government will continue to do exactly what it wants to protect their dodgy friend," the DA added in a statement.
Below is the statement from the DA in full:
The DA will be demanding an immediate Parliamentary inquiry into government's complicity in allowing Zimbabwean First Lady, Grace Mugabe, to flee the country in the dead of night to avoid criminal prosecution.
It is simply inexplicable how this has happened again. It illustrates how unrepentant the ANC government is and, following its complicity in allowing Sudanese president Omar al Bashir to escape an international arrest warrant, shows that the ANC government will continue to do exactly what it wants to protect their dodgy friends.
This government has no more legitimacy in the arena of international diplomacy and displays a total disregard for the rule of law. Indeed, the ANC has turned South Africa into a playground for the political elite and their criminal associates to act with impunity.
The DA in Parliament will never allow this state of affairs to continue and will demand a thorough inquiry into this latest and predictable failure by the Executive. The ANC is content to sell South Africa to the highest bidder, but they must be reminded that Parliament is neither captured nor for sale.
The ANC can no longer be trusted to govern. South Africans have had enough. This is why the motion to usher in new elections should be supported. We cannot afford another two years of the ANC's disastrous term.
Source - BBC
