Extension would be an injustice: Protector
The Public Protector was unwilling to grant state organs more than five days to view her provisional report on President Jacob Zuma's Nkandla residence because it would be an injustice to those affected, her office said on Monday.
"She was... concerned that leaving the report in the hands of the security cluster for an unduly extended period would prejudice... those that she has made provisional adverse findings against and those she has quoted as having provided her with evidence... ," her spokesman Oupa Segalwe said in a statement.
The affected people had not yet received the provisional report, detailing allegations of impropriety and unethical conduct relating to the installation of security measures by the department of public works at Zuma's KwaZulu-Natal property.
"It would also not be in the public interest if the security cluster has exclusive possession of the report," said Segalwe.
The state's security cluster filed an urgent application last week to prevent Madonsela from releasing the report. The High Court in Pretoria postponed the matter to the end of this week.
This followed a special request made by the cluster to have access to the report ahead of all other parties, to establish if its contents would compromise Zuma's security.
Here is the flowchart explaining how provisional reports are handled in the Public Protector's office:
-Sapa