Ad Hoc Committee failed to agree on a realistic completion date for its work and resolved to stick to the April 30 as suggested by National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza.
Image: ARMAND HOUGH Independent Newspapers
The Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations of corruption, political interference, and collusion between law enforcement, the judiciary, and criminal elements, on Tuesday, agreed to continue with its business until April 30 as suggested by National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza.
This followed the committee’s failure to agree on a realistic completion date for its work.
Committee chairperson, Soviet Lekganyane, said members were given two opportunities to discuss after Didiza gave the committee until April 30.
“In this meeting, it emerges that there is no agreement on the end date for this committee. As it stands now, we will work until the date the Speaker has given,” he said.
Lekganyane also said the committee’s support team will prepare the draft report and report on the progress made.
“At that time, the committee can make a determination based on the progress presented, make a determination, and go back to the Speaker to tell her this is the amount of work to be done and we think if we are given number X number of days, we will be able to conclude our work,” he said.
The committee was meant to meet last week to decide on the extension but could not meet.
Lekganyane then wrote to Didiza, asking for an extension until the end of June.
Didiza responded on Monday saying June was too far.
“She proposed that the report submission date be 30 April,” parliamentary legal advisor Andile Tetyana said.
Earlier, the support team to the committee had in its report proposed that a draft report be adopted on April 24 and be circulated to affected persons for comment before it was finally adopted on May 14.
The proposed timeline did not consider the budget hearings the committees will be engaged in during April.
The committee had also heard that not all transcriptions for the public hearings were available because they were awaited from the service provider.
During the discussion some parties wanted the support staff of committee to continue with compiling the report and then a decision be taken around April 30 to ask for another extension.
Other parties wanted a much more realistic date to be found before a request for extension could be made.
The MK Party felt that many issues were left out in the judiciary and correctional service, with too much concentration on the police portfolio.
“We still raise the issue that we have not finished our job,” said MK Party MP David Skosana.
There was also an argument that there will be too much work for the support staff of the committee, who also have to prepare budget review reports for other committees they are assigned to.
Lekganyane said the committee will not call for further witnesses but will ask specific individuals in writing for clarity and answers.
“Deadline is 30 April, and we are unable to agree on another date, which we think can be the end date of the committee. We don’t have a basis to make such a decision. There is no report before us. Some transcripts are missing,” he said.
Lekganyane also said the committee’s support staff would report on the work done, and they would decide when they think they can conclude the work still to be done.
“But at this stage, we think we can’t tell you on which day or date we will be able to conclude our work.”