Zwane delays Parliament’s decision on state capture allegations

Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane has successfully delayed Parliament’s decision on whether to appoint an Ad-hoc committee to investigate state capture allegations against him and his department.

Zwane has failed to appear before the Portfolio committee on Mineral Resources on two occasions this week.

Zwane had been set to meet the portfolio committee on mineral resources on Tuesday to respond to state capture allegations.

He again did not appear on Wednesday and the committee said they had received a sick note informing them that the minister could not appear.

A proposal to summon Zwane to meet with the committee within the next two weeks, proved problematic at least for the ANC.

Chairperson Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources Zet Luzipho says, “I know this may sound very insensitive but it’s fact. I doubt we’ll get these members from the ANC during that period. I just want to be honest. To tell them that on the 16th they should not be in Nasrec is going to be a huge task to them.”

The committee will now have to wait until in 2018 to determine a way forward. Only then will it be able to decide whether to appoint an Ad-hoc Committee, like the Transport Committee opted for earlier this week, to investigate Transnet.

The committee may also decide to do the probe on its own, like the Public Enterprises Portfolio Committee is doing on Eskom.

The entity has been hit by a Moody’s downgrade on Wednesday with a review for further downgrading, citing poor governance record and liquidity issues.

Meanwhile, the expected appointment of an Eskom Board on Thursday will now in all likelihood only take place next week. That’s because of the postponement of Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.

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