Pretoria – Public Protector Thuli Madonsela on Wednesday dismissed claims that she plans to release her Nkandla report in March with hopes of influencing next year’s general elections.

“I never said the report would be released in March next year,” she told reporters in Pretoria.

“I said I was trying to have the report released by the end of the year, but the likelihood is that it will be released in January 2014.”

Madonsela said statements by her office consistently said the report would be released at the latest by mid-January.

ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe on Tuesday demanded the speedy release of the final report pertaining to the upgrades of President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla homestead.

Mantashe said releasing the report late could be seen as a delaying tactic and a political ploy to create negativity around the image and the integrity of Zuma and the ANC.

Madonsela said that as protector she had no role in politics and harboured no intentions of channelling voters in certain directions at next year’s polls.

She said the right to choose who governed the country was a fundamental part of the Constitution and something she would not tamper with.

“It is not for the public protector to advise or influence the exercise of the people of South Africa’s rights to choose political parties they would like to govern them,” she said.

“I am certain that this is a right the people of South Africa are fully aware of and I believe it is a right they would guard jealously against any interference. I have no intention or interest to interfere with this right and have never done so.”

She said she would ask for a meeting with the ANC. An earlier meeting scheduled with the party was postponed.

Had the two sides met, misinformed statements made by the party would have been avoided, Madonsela said.

– SAPA