Busisiwe Mkhwebane Foundation accused committee of obstruction
Members of parliament’s ad hoc committee inquiry into alleged corruption and political interference in the criminal justice system have dismissed submissions from Sarah-Jane Trent, a former associate of forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan, and the Busisiwe Mkhwebane Foundation.
Trent previously requested the committee declare her testimony invalid and strike it from the official record. She claimed the intensity of the hearing triggered secondary trauma related to her diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
During a housekeeping meeting on Tuesday, legal adviser Andile Tetyana told the committee Trent was willing to submit a forensic psychological report, provided the committee kept it confidential. The committee rejected the proposal. Members argued Trent was given ample opportunity to excuse herself during the proceedings if she felt uncomfortable.
Committee chairperson Soviet Lekganyane asserted that the committee cannot accept records meant to be kept private.
“Whatever confidential information would have been sent to us cannot be accepted,” Lekganyane said. “We must stay away from that trouble. They would write to us again accusing us of leaking confidential information. We must not give them a playground to do whatever they want with us.”
The committee also addressed a letter circulating on social media from the Busisiwe Mkhwebane foundation. The foundation demanded the committee grant an in-camera (private) hearing to former crime intelligence official Pilasande Dotyeni, who appeared before the committee in February.
The foundation alleged Dotyeni was denied the opportunity to present critical evidence in private, despite a prior promise. This evidence reportedly pertains to the 2021 death of Lt-Gen Sindile Mfazi, the former deputy national commissioner for crime detection.
While Mfazi’s death was officially attributed to Covid-19, Dotyeni alleged he was poisoned by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS).
“If the committee fails to honour that commitment without lawful justification, it may be seen as knowingly and intentionally impeding the course of justice, effectively aiding those who perpetrated the murder and the cover-up,” the foundation stated.
The committee dismissed the foundation’s allegations of obstruction and evidence suppression. ANC MP Khusela Sangoni expressed shock at the letter’s claims.
“At no point did this committee refuse or delay. The committee has never said we are not prepared to hear Dotyeni,” Sangoni said. “There is no truth in the statement that this committee agreed to an in-camera hearing and is now delaying it.”
However, MK Party MP David Skosana disagreed, suggesting the committee had failed Dotyeni. He argued the investigation has only “scratched the surface” and needs to hear from all implicated parties. “We must have self-introspection as a committee. We must accept our mistakes and not defend ourselves unnecessarily,” Skosana said.
Lekganyane concluded the committee would respond to the foundation by clarifying that no commitment for an in-camera arrangement was ever made. He noted that because the information was shared via social media rather than formal channels, it remains “authorless” in the eyes of the committee.
“I am not persuaded, and the committee should be careful in how it handles matters arriving this way,” Lekganyane emphasised. “That is an informal method. We must be consistent and stick to our customary practices and the rules that are in place.”
Source: TimesLIVE