Opposition parties on Friday walked out of Parliament’s committee on the Nkandla controversy after the ANC refused to agree to call President Jacob Zuma and to enforce the public protector’s findings against him.

The walkout was led by opposition leader Mmusi Maimane after two and half hours of debate failed to break a deadlock on both issues.

Maimane, the Economic Freedom Fighters and the African Christian Democratic Party pleaded in vain with the ruling party to seek a legal opinion on Zuma’s stated view that he was not obliged to rubberstamp the public protector report on upgrades at his Nkandla home.

“We have reached an impasse. We need to come to some end on this matter. Would the ANC not at least at this stage agree to a legal opinion?

“What is clear to me, what is very apparent, is that the ANC is not going to agree to anything. They just want us to run a ritual.

“We cannot proceed on this level,” Maimane said.

After subsequent media briefings, Maimane said the ANC was creating the situation where it was acceptable to ignore the authority of chapter nine institutions and Parliament.

“This is not what the drafters of the constitution intended… all opposition parties therefore withdraw from the Nkandla ad hoc committee.”

He said the parties would not leave the matter there but would seek legal advice on how to hold Zuma to account. SAPA