Hon Speaker, hon Holomisa, I am sensitive to the issue that you have raised. I am equally concerned as President about these happenings between the President and the Public Protector. It does not augur well for our democracy. We should not have important offices in our nation being at loggerheads with each other. It is the same as the President being at loggerheads with the judiciary on a number of matters that could have been solved in a different way.
It so happens that the findings of the Public Protector, we have found, are challengeable in law and in fact. It is for this reason that my advice has been that we should actually go to an arbiter such as our court.
We should not be alarmed when things like these happen. We have a Constitution that regulates the relationship between the various institutions or organs of the state and as long as everything is handled in terms of our Constitution and the law, we should not be alarmed that the wheels will come off.
Yes, we should be concerned politically that the spat is taking place, but in reality, we should rely on the tried and tested ability of our judiciary, which we put in place to be the arbiter in disputes whenever organs of the state don't agree and whenever individuals don't agree or individuals and organs of the state.
So, this is what I would call par for the course. It is concerning but it is a valley that we have to go through, so that in the end, we are able to test the decisions of one organ
of state against what may possibly be slightly different when examined by another organ of the state. So, as much as you are concerned, and as I am concerned, let us allow this process to go on.
It may well be that your wish is finally granted - that this matter finally comes back to Parliament and Parliament is given the opportunity to adjudicate on this matter. However, right now - as they say in law - the case is in limine. In the meantime, let us allow this process to unfold. The good part of it is that it should be done in terms of our law, our Constitution and in terms of the protocols and traditions. We have now evolved, as a new democracy in our country.
Many years later, we will look back at this and we will admire this constitutional statehood that we have, that has served South Africa extremely well. Thank you.