EFF leader Julius Malema on Friday voiced concerns regarding the handling of public submissions for the parliamentary inquiry into police corruption and interference.

Malema said they were already receiving calls from several individuals who have reported being disqualified from participating as potential witnesses by the inquiry’s staff.

The Ad Hoc Committee recently invited members of the public and interested organisations to make written submissions on matters related to the scope of the inquiry.

In a notice last month, the committee asked that written submissions, including supporting documentation, intended to be placed as evidence before the committee, be provided under oath or affirmation.

The notice also stated that individuals or organisations requiring assistance in preparing a sworn statement or submitting evidence were encouraged to notify the committee so that appropriate support can be arranged.

Malema contended that this process was being undermined by the actions of the committee staff.

“Where do they get power from? Those public submissions are not invited by staff members. They are invited by us,” he said.

Malema insisted that all the submissions should be brought to the committee even if they were in a summarised version.

“Where we seek clarity, we may ask for the full submissions of the person, but to outright dismiss people from the back office is an abuse of power,” he said.

Committee Chairperson, Soviet Lekganyane, said the technical team was meant to record all the submissions received.

“It is a matter we decided that the committee is the one that will decide who qualifies to be a witness or does not,” Lekganyane said.

“I don’t think any official would have done that. If they did that, I agree with you, they are totally wrong to have done that,” he said, adding that the committee should at some point decide whether to receive a weekly report on the submissions or wait until the closing date.

Evidence leader Norman Arendse, SC, said while several submissions have been referred to them, they have yet to be fully engaged.

“There are quite a number of submissions. There is a sifting process that is being followed, primarily they look at whether submissions engage the terms of reference of the committee,” he said.

MK Party MP Sibonelo Nomvalo said the committee staff doesn’t have the authority to disqualify public submissions.

“If it is true that such applications are declined, they must be reinstated for the committee to make a final determination,” Nomvalo said.

Thulisile Ganyaza-Twalo, a senior official in the committee section, said she was unaware that a member of the public was told he or she would not be called as a witness.

“I can assure the members that all those submissions will be put together and presented before the committee so that members can make a decision on the relevance of the submissions,” Ganyaza-Twalo said.

However, Lekganyane noted that someone had complained to him about not being contacted in connection with his submission and later spoke on the radio, saying he had lost confidence in the process.

He noted that some people felt strongly that they must appear before the committee.

“It is also fair that the committee is allowed to do its work according to the terms of reference and give itself time to go through the applications made before it and arrive at a decision,” Lekganyane said.

Arendse reiterated that they have not had the opportunity to look at public submissions and stated that some submissions seemed not to be in line with the terms of reference.

“There are members of the public who feel this is an opportunity to raise grievances,” said Arendse, before urging that the committee be given time to look at the submissions at its own time.

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za

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