No submissions, ANC leaders must testify on state capture – DA
The DA says it has written to the commission's secretary asking confirmation whether the likes of Ramaphosa, Mabuza, Gwede and Duarte will appear.
Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo during a media briefing in which members of the Commission of Enquiry into Allegations of State Capture were introduced to the media at the offices of the Chief Justice in Midrand on 7 March 2018. Picture: Neil McCartney
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has reiterated its call that African National Congress (ANC) leaders should appear before the state capture inquiry following ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule’s announcement that the governing party would make submissions at the commission over issues raised by banks.
Magashule made the announcement during a press brief today on the outcomes of the national executive committee (NEC) meeting held at the weekend.
“The ANC has also stated its position that it will go there and respond to those issues which have been raised around the banks and all those issues,” Magashule said.
The DA said it “is not good enough” for the ANC to make submissions at the commission and that the party’s officials should appear before the inquiry.
“Ironically, Mr Magashule has been implicated in state capture during his tenure as Free State premier and should be among the first ANC members to appear before the commission to answer key questions,” the DA’s Natasha Mazzone said.
During the post-NEC press briefing, Magashule said any ANC members called to appear before the commission would do and that he, too, was willing to appear at the inquiry.
“I have said at all material times, there’s nothing wrong for me to go to the state capture [commission]. If I am called, if I am implicated, I will go there,” Magashule said.
Mazzone said the DA’s lawyers have written to the secretary of the Commission into State Capture, Dr Khotso De Wee, to request confirmation that ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe, deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte, former ANC president Jacob Zuma, party president Cyril Ramaphosa, former Minister of Mineral Resources Mosebenzi Zwane, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba, former minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Des van Rooyen, former minister of Public Enterprises Lynne Brown, suspended South African Revenue Services commissioner Tom Moyane, the former head of crime intelligence and the State Security Agency Arthur Fraser, former minister of Energy David Mahlobo, and ANC deputy president David Mabuza will be called to testify before the commission.
“We await a reply and hope the commission will consider our request favourably.
“We must face up to the fact that state capture did not begin with the election of former President Jacob Zuma in 2009. State capture and corruption is central to the ANC’s very nature and being, and there is much to answer for,” Mazzone said.
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