Ramaphosa among 34 witnesses to be called in for Mkhwanazi inquiry – SABC News
The number of proposed witnesses set to testify before the Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has grown to 34.
The committee is still deciding who to call.
President Cyril Ramaphosa remains among the potential witnesses after National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola revealed he met with the President in February to raise concerns about Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s decision to disband the Political Killings Task Team.
The Ad hoc Committee has upped the ante as it continues to add more names to the list of witnesses. They include former ministers and current ministers as well as the President.
EFF leader Julius Malema says, “President Cyril Ramaphosa is mentioned, and former police minister Nathi Mthethwa is mentioned. Remember, General Mkhwanazi said the minister called him to his house to speak about the removal of Mdluli’s case. Minister Ronald Lamola, Brown Mogotsi is reported to have been involved in the apprehension of Thabo Bester during his tenure as Minister of Justice and Correctional Services. Minister Gayton McKenzie said he wants to be called because he has a lot to say and he’s got a lot of information about the criminal syndicate that is taking place in this country.”
But the list remains a work in progress.
ANC Chief Whip Mdumiseni Ntuli adds, “We are not in a better position to firmly determine whether or not these names are actually required for us to discharge our responsibility, and we are also cognisant of the fact that members have argued this point that we are not a sub-committee of anything of a judicial service enquiry. We accept that, but we are also others must accept that the judicial enquiry and ourselves are meant to complement each other in the final analysis in terms of what becomes the practical steps to be taken to remedy the situation.”
Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi finished making his statement with the evidence leaders on Friday.
Chairperson of the Ad hoc Committee Molapi Lekganyane says, “What we should do is to note this list and then allow general mkhwanazi to come and make a presentation on the 7th and the 8th of October. The committee has said it decides who it invites and who it does not invite, and when that presentation has been made, the terms of reference will be put on one side, the presentation of General Mkhwanazi will be put on the other, and then we will also have the list.”
All eyes are now on Mkhwanazi’s testimony on October 7th.
ActionSA MP, Dereleen James, says while the list of witnesses drawn up to give evidence is long, it is reflective of the state of capture and rot in the country.
Giving her party’s input to the discussion on how the committee should deal with the list, she says Parliament’s legal team has indicated that it has the time to do consultations with all the names on the list, and they should be allowed to do so.
James says she will not be surprised if the list grows even longer.
“It is reflective of people in every possible state organ that participated in selling drugs to our children. This hasn’t started today or yesterday; it goes back many years, hence the long list. So it’s important for us to recognise that as well, if anything, I think this list is still going to grow.”
“Because never before in our country have we had such harsh and real allegations made by anyone, this has been hidden and hidden under a carpet for many years. So all the rot is going to surface now, and we must prepare ourselves for a very long list,” she explains.
Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) MP, Albert Mncwango says the list of potential witnesses should first be handed over to the evidence leader, who will do consultations with each witness. After which, the evidence leader will advise MPs about what each witness can contribute to the committee’s work.
Mncwango was weighing in on the conversation about the long list of potential witnesses drawn up by MPs of various parties to give evidence at the committee.
Some MPs raised concern that having each witness appear before it could unnecessarily lengthen the process, while others felt that the committee had to take the time to listen to what everyone had to say.
But Mncwango says the committee should be guided by the evidence leader. “They should actually be able to come back to us and say, look, so and so does not actually have any substantive issues that can assist the operations of this committee. Therefore, we go through the list and eliminate whatever [and whoever that] would not assist the operation and the working of this ad hoc committee.
“Because as other honourable members have pointed out, we still do not have any evidence before us, once evidence is led by the chief witness, in this case Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi, and others for that matter, there might be a need for us actually revisit the issue of the list,” adds Mncwango.