Former chairperson of the General Council of the Bar of South Africa, Vuyani Ngalwana SC, wants President Cyril Ramaphosa to testify before the State Capture Commission. He has written to the commission chairperson, Justice Raymond Zondo, regarding this.
Ngalwana says the President and other former members of Jacob Zuma’s Cabinet should be called to account on their roles in the alleged corruption and capture of State-Owned Entities (SOEs) that is said to have taken place during what has been termed “the nine wasted years” under the Zuma administration.
“I appreciate that the Commission may have limited time to complete its work by 31 March 2021 and that it may not be feasible to obtain evidence of all these persons and assess it in time before the final report of the Commission id due for submission to the President, who ironically, is one of the persons who should be questioned. But that, with respect, is of the Commission’s own doing by the choices it has made as regards which witnesses to invite, leaving out persons who are, in my submission, clearly relevant witnesses capable of shedding light on alleged “state capture” during their time in Pres Zuma’s cabinet and senior official positions in organs of state,” the acting judge in the High Court in Pretoria says.
Ngalwana also believes testimonies from Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, former president Kgalema Motlanthe, former Treasury Director-Generals Lungisa Fuzile, Dondo Mogajane, and the entire Eskom board of directors, including its ex CEOs Brian Molefe and Matshela Koko, could shed more light on the allegations of state capture.
“Without clarity on these issues South Africans with the good of the country at heart cannot move forward with a clear conscience that corruption is a thing of the past and that the serving President is free from the influences of big business,” he says.
He has asked Justice Zondo to timeously provide written reasons for his decision, should he resolve not to grant the request so that he can consider his options.
Below is Ngalwana’s submission to the State Capture Commission Chair:
Moyane to cross-examine Gordhan
On Monday, former SARS boss, Tom Moyane, will cross-examine Minister Gordhan when the inquiry resumes in Johannesburg.
Zondo granted the former South African Revenue Service commissioner leave to cross-examine Gordhan with conditions.
Moyane had applied for leave to cross-examine Gordhan after he accused the former SARS commissioner of being central to the state capture campaign at the revenue service.
This was Moyane’s second attempt to get permission to cross-examine Gordhan. In April, Zondo dismissed Moyane’s application, saying it failed to meet several requirements.
Another former SARS employee and partner at BAIN SA, Athol Williams, is also expected to testify.
The commission says proceedings will be held under strict COVID-19 safety protocols.
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