The individual witnesses that came to Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi largely came to use the platform at hand to clean themselves up.

This is according to IFP MP Albert Mncwango, speaking on the sidelines of the committee, who was commenting on how contributions from civil organisations were valuable, while others were less so.

The committee heard from former finance and administration head of Crime Intelligence’s Secret Service Account, Tiyani Lincoln Hlungwani, who testified on the inner workings.

He was preceded by former SAPS commander Tengimpilo Maqebhula, Accountability Now’s Advocate Paul Hoffman, and Dr Jean Redpath of the Dullah Omar Institute, among others.

Mncwango stated that civil organisations made valuable contributions insofar as Crime Intelligence and the SAPS in general are concerned.

“We actually did our part in terms of engaging them and interacting with them to unpack certain recommendations that they made, and obviously, we will find a way of infusing those recommendations into our own overall report.

“With regard to the individual witnesses, they came, but it was largely to use this platform to clean themselves up. We’ve just had a gentleman here who was fired by the police service, and then, when you listen and actually go through the evidence that is presented, you then detect that he was part of the problems that actually are within the Crime Intelligence,” Mncwango said.

“It’s not unusual to find a person having been expelled because there are factions there. If you belong to a faction that is not powerful at that particular point in time, then you actually become a victim.

“That is what actually kills the crime prevention mechanism of our country,” he said.

“The last two witnesses were largely here to clean their names and implicate others, which I don’t think is fair, because now we have an obligation as this committee to actually provide a platform for those names that had actually been dropped here, and also to put in their side of the story. So it’s an endless cycle.”

With regards to Paul O’Sullivan and Brown Mogotsi, Mncwango said they have always been on their radar as critical witnesses.

“I’m here because I believe he’s still a citizen of this country. He must come. I’m sure he would at some point like to come and clean himself up.

“Concerning Mr Mogotsi, he was also one of the central witnesses and the central actor in the whole situation. We want him also in person,” Mncwango said.

“Of course, he has raised certain concerns and issues, and I hope that the support team of our committee, and Parliament in general, will be able to deal with those issues to pave the way for him to come and meet with us.”

On Wednesday, both the EFF’s Leigh-Ann Mathys and ActionSA’s Dereleen James expressed disgust and disappointment when one of the presenters to the Ad Hoc Committee informed them that he had covered his own travel and accommodation.

Mncwango added that there was consensus in the committee that Parliament should do something to actually reimburse him.

“I don’t think it is fair for us not to actually consider assisting in the costs of witnesses coming up to see us here. I think there is general agreement in the committee that indeed his cost should be reimbursed.”

theolin.tembo@inl.co.za

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