Members of Parliament’s ad hoc committee on Nkandla are struggling to agree on which findings to include in their draft report. After two and a half hours of back and forth between ruling party and opposition members on Wednesday afternoon, the committee was not much closer to finding a resolution ahead of its Friday deadline. It discussed an updated version of the initial draft report that was introduced on Tuesday.

Committee chairperson Cedric Frolick said he was “a bit perturbed” after opposition parties asked for more time.

“I find it extraordinary that members who have participated in this process have not thought about findings. We cannot sit here and waste each other’s time,” he said, before adjourning the meeting.

He asked that parties submit their proposals for findings and recommendations by 08:00 on Thursday. These would be distributed to all members, and they would meet directly after President Jacob Zuma answered questions in the National Assembly.

ACDP’s Steve Swart had earlier suggested they adjourn briefly so they could each present their recommended findings, because he had only received the updated draft on Wednesday.

He also wanted to know what process was followed in whittling down and adjusting the list of committee reflections following the oversight visit to Nkandla.

ANC MP Thandi Mahambehlala said: “All of us agreed in KwaZulu-Natal that there was a gross inflation of costs. I want to plead that we stop playing monkey tricks, because it won’t take us anywhere.”

Swart objected to the term “monkey tricks”, and she withdrew it after Frolick requested her to do so.

IFP’s Narend Singh said he and FF Plus MP Corné Mulder represented six other political parties.

“We are not prepared to go into the findings now because it is going to bring us deeper into agreeing and disagreeing,” Singh said.

ANC MP Doris Dlakude replied that it looked as though the opposition was “stalling” the process.

Singh said the opposition was equally committed to completing the process by the deadline.

“There is no intention whatsoever to continue with this process next week.” News24