Cape Town - National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has agreed to a request from the GOOD party to schedule an urgent debate on the failed extradition of persons implicated in corruption.
Mapisa-Nqakula agreed to the request submitted by Good party MP Brett Herron on April 11, days after South Africans were informed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had rejected the government's request to surrender Atul and Rajesh Gupta to stand trial for state capture.
Herron had proposed the debate on “the failure of the government to extradite persons implicated in corruption, as demonstrated by the recent case in the UAE and the consequences thereof”.
Mapisa-Nqakula said the subject complied with the criteria set out in National Assembly rule and the programme committee would be requested to schedule the debate.
On Thursday, National Assembly secretary Masibulele Xaso said the matter would be processed during the week.
“We think it might be scheduled in early June. A decision will be taken by the National Assembly Programme Committee next week,” Xaso said.
Herron said the extradition of the so-called Gupta brothers was of significant legal, moral, political and emotional importance for South Africa.
“The country invested nearly R1 billion in the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, and citizens invested massive trust and hope that the process would lead to prosecutions and justice.
“The Guptas were allegedly leading beneficiaries of State Capture, and were repeatedly implicated in the report of the Zondo Commission.
“South Africans deserve to know what went wrong and who should be held accountable for the government's extradition failures,” he said.
Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola said earlier this week that his department would soon announce the way forward regarding the extradition of the Gupta brothers.
“Our extradition request for Atul and Rajesh Gupta from the United Arab Emirates was dismissed based on technicalities and inexplicable reasons.
“I have been in contact with my UAE counterpart and met the UAE representative in South Africa and registered our country’s displeasure.
“We will soon announce the way forward with regard to this matter upon finalisation of our engagements with the UAE counterparts,” Lamola said.
He also said they had complied with all the requirements of the extradition treaty between South Africa and the UAE.
“In this regard, there was no basis for dismissing our application. We will deal with all aspects as and when we finalise between ourselves and the UAE on the matter,” Lamola said.
Cape Times