Cape Town - President Jacob Zuma has refused to be drawn on whether he will fire police chief Riah Phiyega for her role in the Marikana tragedy, and to also give a date for the release of the Marikana report.
Zuma, who was answering questions in the National Council of Provinces on Thursday, said he was still studying the report and would make it public once he had finished.
Opposition parties demanded answers from Zuma, during a heated debate in the chamber, but he refused to give details on the report.
Zuma said he would not be pushed by the opposition into releasing the date or action he would take against any implicated official.
It has been reported that the report has made damning findings against Phiyega and called for action against her.
Zuma said he did not want to get into the merits of the report. But DA members of Parliament George Michalakis and Elza van Lingen demanded to know whether he would fire Phiyega and also give a date for its release in public.
At this point, the National Council of Provinces chairwoman, Thandi Modise, interjected and said the questions were speculative.
Zuma said: “I cannot give a date. I am reading the report. As soon as I finish, looking at the recommendations, I will release the report and what is my attitude to it.”
The president said he did not want to lie in Parliament and give a date, as he did not know when he would finish reading the report.
Zuma said Judge Ian Farlam had given him the report at the end of March, and also briefed him on its contents.
The report was completed at the end of November last year, following two years of investigation and public hearings by the commission of inquiry.
It was reported at the weekend that Phiyega had refused to be redeployed, either in the government or overseas as an ambassador, and preferred to be fired.
EFF members of Parliament also raised issues on Nkandla, demanding to know when Zuma would pay back the money as directed by the public protector.
Zuma said while he was not obliged to answer as the question did not appear on the list, he said that determination would be made by the Minister of Police, Nathi Nhleko.
This followed consultations between the minister and National Treasury. However, Zuma cautioned that the EFF was obsessed with the Nkandla matter, and said it ended up clouding everything else on their agenda.
Nhleko had indicated to the cabinet that he would respond to the recommendations of the public protector, in line with other reports.
These other reports related to probes conducted by the Special Investigating Unit and a Parliamentary ad-hoc committee.
Political Bureau