FILE: President Jacob Zuma addressing the nation after meeting with the management and leadership of universities as well as student leaders to discuss the stalemate with regards to university fee increases on 23 October 2015.
Picture: GCIS

JOHANNESBURG – There are calls this morning for president Jacob Zuma to release the entire Arms Deal Commission report, so the nation can put the scandal behind it.

The Seriti Commission heard from over 50 witnesses and was established in 2011 and began its work in 2013.

One of the fiercest critics of the deal, Richard Young, said he’s looking forward to the report but at this stage doesn’t know what to expect.

“The only way, any chance of putting this thing to bed, is that this thing get complete and utter public scrutiny once the presidency has had its chance to have a look at it.”

The presidency has confirmed that president Zuma has received the Arms Deal Commission report, but will only reveal its findings at a later stage.

The four-year long inquiry, investigated allegations of fraud and corruption, which marred the deal.

Judge Willie Seriti, who chaired the commission, with Judge Thekiso Musi, handed over their report to the president in Durban yesterday.

The Seriti Commission heard from over 50 witnesses and was established in 2011 and began its work in 2013.

The presidency’s Bongani Majola said investigations were concluded in June.

“President Zuma will now study the report. It’s quite comprehensive and he will determine the next course of action, including whatever the president decides that needs to be given to the public.”

Further Reading

• President Jacob Zuma
• Arms deal
• Arms deal inquiry
• The Arms Deal

(Edited by Leeto M Khoza)

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I can only get fiercer if the entire report is not made public within a reasonable period of time.

Seriti would allow no classified documents to be used in the commission's hearings and would allow none of its hearings to be in camera.

He actually visibly got very touchy about this on a number of occasions.

There are on the face of it absolutely no grounds for any decision withholding parts of it.

And for anyone who is wondering, that photo above with His Excellency with a report before him on the lectern, that is not the Arms Deal report. It is just the account for the FeesMustFall campaign.