Legal experts say the AfriForum’s request to cross examine President Cyril Ramaphosa at the State Capture Commission of Inquiry is permitted in terms of the law.
On Monday, the civil rights group filed a formal application to the commission requesting to subpoena the President to appear before Justice Raymond Zondo.
It says Ramaphosa was the chairperson of the ANC’s Cadre Deployment Committee from 2013 to 2016 and claims that several individuals who are accused of corruption and state capture were appointed to key positions on the ground of their loyalty to the ANC.
AfriForum wants Cyril Ramaphosa to answer on ANC’s cadre deployment policy:
The lobby group has written to the State Capture Commission of Inquiry requesting to subpoena him over the party’s cadre deployment policy.
They claim that the President was at the helm of the Cadre Deployment Committee when key appointments in the government were made. The policy, which has been implemented by the ANC and its alliance partners, has drawn criticism with some citing that it permits the abuse of power.
AfriForum’s Head of Policy and Action Ernest Roets says they have filed an application for Ramaphosa to be cross-examined.
“We have filed an application for President Cyril Ramaphosa to be cross-examined over the Cadre Deployment Committee and decisions that were taken by the committee given that Ramaphosa was the chairperson of this committee before he was president. If there is one person that could shed light it is President Ramaphosa.”
But one legal expert, Casper Badenhorst is of the view that there is nothing untoward about the lobby group’s request to the commission.
“In terms of rule 9 of the rules, if you believe that there is a person that can provide valuable evidence to the commission and its purposes, you may apply in writing to the commission and state grounds, why believe that that person has valuable evidence to provide.”
AfriForum further wants to question Ramaphosa on individuals who had served in the government or in various state-owned entities like Brian Molefe, Dudu Myeni, Pravin Gordhan, Lucky Montana, Jeff Radebe, Thuli Madonsela, amongst others.
Efforts to get a comment from the ANC were fruitless.
