Speaker, the DA condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the reported raid on the Public Protector's office by members of the South African Police Service last week.
Now, this is not only a clear abuse of power, but a serious affront to this country's Constitution and the offices which it creates. Indeed, the office of the Public Protector is essential in protecting our democratic and constitutional dispensation.
With this in mind, we cannot ignore the fact that the raid comes on the back of the ruling by the Public Protector that Police Commissioner Bheki Cele's R500 million headquarter lease deal was, and I quote, "improper, unlawful and amounting to maladministration". We cannot ignore that last year Commissioner Cele denounced Mzilikazi wa Afrika after the reporter implicated the commissioner in the property deal declared irregular by the Public Protector.
Within a matter of days Mr Wa Afrika was arrested by the SAPS on questionable charges which were later dropped. This developing pattern is too obvious to overlook. While the DA welcomes the request for an investigation into the raid by the Minister of Police, several questions remain unanswered.
If neither the Minister nor the commissioner authorised the raid, then who did? Were those involved in any way linked to the police commissioner? How can any raid be conducted without the commissioner's knowledge? Who, then, is making the decisions in the SAPS?
This investigation is the first step, but then it must be followed by action. The government must make it clear, and in no uncertain terms, that this behaviour is unacceptable and that the independence of our Chapter 9 ... Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]