The corruption case against former State Security Minister Bongani Bongo has been adjourned until Monday in the High Court in Cape Town.
On Friday morning, the court heard evidence from two state witnesses – National Council of Provinces Secretary Modibedi Phindela and the Secretary to Parliament Baby Tyawa.
Both confirmed that former evidence leader in the Parliamentary Inquiry into corruption at Eskom, Advocate Ntuthuzelo Vanara had informed them that he was approached by Bongo to collapse the inquiry.
African National Congress supporters along with a few Congress of South African Students members from Mpumalanga gathered outside the court in support of Bongo.
The state is expected to conclude its case on Monday.
Bongo is currently the Chairperson of the Home Affairs Portfolio Committee in Parliament. It’s alleged Bongo tried to derail the 2017 Parliamentary inquiry, looking into corruption and other matters, at Eskom.
Bongo allegedly offered a bribe to the evidence leader Vanara, in exchange for collapsing the inquiry. However, in court Bongo testified that he was merely sharing a suggestion with Vanara.
Vanara’s seniors at Parliament took the stand, to corroborate the chain of events, as explained to them, by Vanara.
Tyawa and Vanara were both grilled by Bongo’s counsel. They were pressed about what they had done with the information of the alleged bribery after Vanara shared his conversation with Bongo with them.
They were reminded that according to South Africa’s corruption laws, they were duty-bound to report the allegations.
Both insisted they had reported the matter to their superiors and left it at that.
Outside court, ANC supporters said they would accept the ruling of the court.
Bongo has said previously that he has ever been involved in corruption:
