The Mineral Resources Committee in parliament is to institute an inquiry into state capture specifically involving Minister Mosebenzi Zwane.
The decision follows his failure to appear before the committee to answer questions regarding his role in state capture.
The committee has rejected the minister’s explanation for not attending the meeting.
Zwane has a long history of not honouring appointments with the committee. Members feel that he is not interested in appearing to answer their questions.
Committee Chairperson Sahlulele Luzipo, giving a history of these broken promises, says: “We invited the minister for 1 November, who responded, he was sick. We then had a discussion that of the 21st because on the 14th he was writing an exam. Now the 21st is here and he’s giving us the date of next week.”
Luzipo says what is worse is that the date was set by Zwane himself. He says if the minister had been serious about presenting himself to the committee, other arrangements could have been made.
“This is a serious matter. If it required us to negotiate we were willing to negotiate with the NCOP so that they can excuse the minister or allow the deputy minister, because with regards to the NCOP they required the department; with regard to mineral resources it requires a person.”
Initially, some members were suggesting that the committee should subpoena the minister to come and answer their questions next week.
In the end though, the suggestion to move straight to a parliamentary inquiry won the day.
“It’s unacceptable that he does this. When we want him back. He needs to be subpoenaed to appear before this committee. However, we should move the process forward. We have been discussing the matter and I propose that we move to a fully-fledged inquiry into state capture in the department along the lines of that conducted by PE,” says Democratic Alliance’s James Lorimer.
Economic Freedom Fighters Tembinkosi Rawula also feels Zwane had turned down the opportunity to be heard by the committee and therefore, an inquiry is the way to go.
“I think that this committee should proceed to an inquiry and it will give us enough time to ask what we want. The non-attendance and petty reasons given are unacceptable and indicate the minister does not have appetite to respond to them.”
In the past, when the minister had failed to arrive for meetings he had relied on his African National Congress comrades to shield him. With the political situation having changed drastically since Zwane’s last engagement with the committee, this time he was left without support.
African National Congress Member of Parliament Imamile Pikinini was among those who felt the committee should not compromise its role.
