Haas came under the spotlight after her qualifications were questioned during the proceedings last week.
The MK party says it will be opening two cases against human rights activist and violence monitor Mary de Haas for serious breaches during the recent Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee proceedings.
Haas came under the spotlight after her qualifications were questioned during the proceedings last week.
De Haas testified at the Parliamentary ad hoc committee inquiry into alleged corruption and political interference in the criminal justice system.
First case
In her evidence before the committee, de Haas testified to her experience as a social anthropologist and a violence monitor in KZN.
The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) later distanced itself from de Haas, saying she is neither an employee nor a professor at the institution.
MK party national spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said they will be registering the cases at the Cape Town Central SAPS on Thursday.
“The first case relates to Ms Mary de Haas, who misrepresented her academic credentials before Parliament by claiming to possess an earned doctoral qualification, which she does not. Ms de Haas has since admitted that her highest completed qualification is a Master’s degree, and that the “doctorate” she referred to is merely honorary.
“This deliberate misrepresentation, intended to bolster her authority during her presentation, constitutes a violation of section 17(2)(e) of the Powers, Privileges and Immunities Act. The MK Party will request SAPS to register a criminal docket and secure all pertinent records, including transcripts, video footage, and academic documentation,” Ndhlela said.
ALSO READ: UKZN clarifies Mary de Haas neither its employee nor professor [VIDEO]
Second case
Ndhlela also shared details of the second case, the MK party it intends to open.
“The second case concerns Mr Paul O’Sullivan, whose WhatsApp message, read into the official parliamentary record, contained explicit threats aimed at intimidating a witness, Mr Cedric Nkabinde, during an official sitting of the Ad Hoc Committee.
“Additionally, further intimidating correspondence was reportedly channelled through the evidence leader, Adv Arendse, to MK party members. This conduct appears to contravene provisions of the Constitution, the Powers and Privileges Act, and the Intimidation Act, and may amount to criminal intimidation and obstruction of parliamentary processes. The MK party will therefore open a separate case to safeguard the integrity of oversight proceedings and the protection of witnesses,” Ndhlela said.
Ndhlela added that Parliament must remain a “forum of truth, accountability and transparency, never a space where individuals are permitted to mislead, threaten or interfere with due process.”
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