Better if Zuma retires in a jail cell: Maimane

Maimane addressed the media at Parliament following the publication of leaked emails involving the Gupta family, President Zuma and some cabinet ministers.

"Well within the next 24 hours, I will personally be laying criminal charges against Jacob Zuma and his cabinet. The affidavit will be completed within the course of the next number of hours," says Maimane.

Maimane says they believe anyone who "sells off the state" must face criminal charges.

"When it comes to questions of cabinet decisions, appointments, cabinet information, buying the favours of cabinet ministers, buying the favours with executives at Eskom, exerting control over government, influencing government's decisions and other serious violations - these must be criminally investigated," says Maimane.

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Maimane says President Zuma is stealing from the people of South Africa.

"He's not stealing from the ANC. These are not the ANC's resources. State-owned enterprises are not the ANC's. They are for the people of this country. The greatest crime here is against South Africans," says Maimane.

Maimane says the decision to remove President Zuma should not come from the ANC's National Executive Committee, but from Parliament.

He says he has written to Speaker Baleka Mbete to establish an ad hoc committee.

"The mandate of that ad hoc committee must be to establish and acquire all correspondence released yesterday. It must enquire into any aspects of any allegations pertaining to the undue influence by persons not in the executive over the executive," says Maimane.

Maimane says President Zuma and the Guptas must be summoned to Parliament to answer to the authenticity of the emails.

"The executive accounts to Parliament."

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