The commission is expected to cost taxpayers an estimated R147.9 million.
The EFF has called on former Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga to ensure that every cent of the cost of the venue where the inquiry into KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police chief Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s allegations of criminal infiltration into the South African justice system takes place is accounted for.
Secretary-general Marshall Dlamini wrote to Madlanga in his capacity as chairperson of the Judicial Commission.
Venue cost
The commission is expected to cost taxpayers an estimated R147.9 million.
In the letter, Dlamini outlined the commencement of the commission’s work, with particular focus on the venue to be used and the overall costs associated with its operations.
“The EFF’s concern arises from the costly precedent set by the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture (“the Zondo Commission”). The Zondo Commission cost the nation nearly R1 billion, with a significant portion of the expenditure linked directly to the lease of its venue at Hill on Empire in Parktown, Johannesburg.
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“This expense was not incidental; it was one of the single largest cost drivers over the Commission’s lifespan,” Dlamini said.
Not about expenditure
Dlamini said the EFF’s letter is not just a question of high expenditure.
“The EFF has repeatedly raised concerns about inflated pricing in such lease agreements, lack of transparent and competitive procurement processes, the use of elitist venues that are inaccessible to ordinary members of the public, undermining the constitutional principle of openness in such inquiries,” Dlamini said.
“As the EFF, we believe that the public has a right to expect that every cent spent on this commission is used in the most prudent and transparent manner possible. The commission of inquiry must not become a conduit for the enrichment of private landlords and politically connected service providers at the expense of the people.
“It is our view that for this Commission, the Chairperson must insist on the use of a municipal hall or another publicly owned facility for the entire duration of its operations,” he said.
Dlamini said in the case of the Zondo Commission, the awarding of contracts to Tiso Black Star and Redefine Properties raised doubts about whether “due process was followed at all.”
Credibility
Dlamini warned that should the commission proceed to lease a privately-owned venue under terms similar to those of the Zondo Commission, it will be making a choice that is both “financially reckless and contrary to the public interest. It would also risk undermining the credibility of the inquiry before a single witness is heard.”
“We trust that you will receive this letter in the constructive spirit in which it is intended: to safeguard the financial sustainability of the Commission, preserve its credibility, and ensure that it remains open and accessible to all South Africans.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his decision to establish a commission of inquiry to investigate the serious allegations of political interference in police operations made by Mkhwanazi earlier in July.
The commission is expected to deliver a preliminary report in three months and a final report within six months of its formation.
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