The death of ANC committee member Tina Joemat-Pettersson on Monday amid wild allegations that the ANC MP had sought a bribe from Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s husband, Mandla Skosana, was bound to feature.
Read more in Daily Maverick: Tina Joemat-Pettersson, a life of controversy and commitment to the ANC, never mind the rollercoaster ride
Joemat-Pettersson’s sudden death may have thrown an unexpected spanner in Team Mkhwebane’s works and a further attempt to have the chair of the parliamentary inquiry, Qubudile Dyantyi, removed. This is not the first occasion Mkhwebane has sought to oust the skipper.
Read more in Daily Maverick: Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s impeachment ship will sail on despite storm of wild bribery claims
Attorney’s sick note
At the start of proceedings, Dyantyi revealed that the committee had been informed at the last minute that Mkhwebane’s newly-appointed attorney Hope Chaane, had been hospitalised.
The only solution now, said Dyantyi, was for a State Attorney to be appointed to represent the suspended Public Protector and for the inquiry to finish its work in the less than a month it has left.
Regarding Mkhwebane’s suggestion that he recuse himself, Dyantyi suggested that she make a formal application by 1pm on Friday and that he would respond by 1pm on Monday. Case closed.
Tin drums drumming
It was the EFF’s regular heckler, Omphile Maotwe, who launched the attack on Wednesday stating cryptically that even “rapists and murderers” were given opportunities to speak. This after her hand had been up for some time.
What was Dyantyi going to do about the allegations, she demanded. She was followed by EFF leader Julius Malema, who goaded Dyantyi by calling him “emotional”.
The bait almost worked but Dyantyi held the ground.
Committee members across parties argued in the day for the inquiry to continue as ANC MP Nqola Xola castigated people for “rumour monergism” with regard to Joemat-Pettersson’s death.
Dyantyi said the allegations against him and others were being dealt with “in the proper forums” and that the police and ethics committee needed to do their work.
Show goes on
Parliament legal adviser, Fatima Ebrahim, set out for the committee how Mkhwebane would be represented by the State Attorney as decided by the Solicitor General and that the PPSA had agreed to fund this.
Later, addressing the committee, Mkhwebane said the truth was that the counsel of her choice, Chaane, had not yet been briefed because he appeared to be “at death’s door”, as EFF MP Maotwe claimed.
“My attorney is admitted, he is at the hospital” she said adding enigmatically that she did not “wish the doctors to be exposed”.
She said it had been a “shock” to discover that the services of her chosen, attorney, had been “terminated just like that”.
“I said that the attorney can be Chaane,” she stated and that he had needed more time to read the documents (thousand of documents), she said. “That is how the legal profession works,” Mkhwebane schooled the committee.
Eventually quoting Steve Biko, “black man you are on your own”, Mkhwebane appeared to threaten to make public the “extortion tapes” featuring Joemat-Pettersson.
“I will also have to tell my side of the story and engage members of the public to sit before a chairperson who is accused of corruption,” she snapped.
Just after midday, Dyantyi announced that the Inquiry would be postponed until Friday so that Mkhwebane could make her written submission with regard to his recusal, so that it could feature on the committee’s agenda.
On Friday, Mhkwebane will face evidence leaders who will question her on her CR17 report as well as her investigation into Sars. DM