CAPE TOWN – Co-operative Governance Minister Des van Rooyen on Monday for a second time filed an application for an interdict to prevent the release of former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s report on state capture, his office said.
“I can confirm that the minister has applied for an interdict this morning,” spokesman Legedema Leso said.
Leso declined to disclose the basis for Van Rooyen’s application, saying: “It is sub judice, we cannot discuss the reasons behind it.”
Van Rooyen first went to court to block Madonsela’s report a week and a half ago, arguing that she had given him only one day to respond to damning allegations that he had used his four days as finance minister last December to pull strings for the rich and politically connected Gupta family.
However, the minister withdrew the application, which was due to be heard along with a separate one by President Jacob Zuma on November 1. The president is also seeking a court order that the report be withheld.
Van Rooyen said he did so because Madonsela assured him that she had not made any adverse findings against him.
