Dali Mpofu, Mkhwebane’s Lawyer, Insists He’ll Summon President Ramaphosa To Testify
Advocate Dali Mpofu SC, the lawyer for suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, maintains that he would ask President Cyril Ramaphosa to testify at hearings before Parliament’s Committee for Section 194 Enquiry about allegations he made about her being guilty of perjury.
The committee was specifically informed by Mpofu that his staff will write to Ramaphosa asking him to attend freely, and if he declined, he would start the procedure to summon him.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Radio Presenter And Seven Others Shot Dead In Alexandra By Notorious Gang
Ramaphosa was asked to testify by Mpofu because of allegations of perjury he had made against Mkhwebane, which, if true, may lead to the removal of the president from office.
He said that on Sunday, he informed the inquiry’s evidence leader, advocate Nazreen Bawa SC, of his plan to call the president as a witness with regard to the allegations involving Bosasa and CR17.
He said Bawa’s response was: “Well you have to do what you have to do.”
The Presidency rejected the recommendation made by committee member Bantu Holomisa (UDM) on Tuesday that Ramaphosa speaks about the controversial CR17 report by Mkhwebane on Wednesday.
A former president who is not named but is rumoured to have met Mkhwebane will be called by Mpofu to speak during the sessions. “I don’t want to name names at this stage, but you’ll remember one of the charges has to do with a meeting with a president.”
Mpofu caused a stir among MPs when he advised them to prepare for a protracted investigation process because he would address each and every complaint made by witnesses against Mkhwebane.
Corné Mulder, a member of the Freedom Front Plus, expressed his concern that a plan existed to maintain the committee until Mkhwebane’s tenure as public protector ended.
Her term ends in October of the following year. This generated a discussion on the committee’s authority to call witnesses that lasted the majority of the morning session between MPs and Mpofu.
Johann van Loggerenberg and Mpofu clashed over Mpofu’s description of the High-Risk Investigations Unit as “the rogue unit” when he finally started his cross-examination of the former SA Revenue Service (Sars) executive turned whistle-blower.
Van Loggerenberg claimed that he thought the name was offensive and that he had tried for years to correct others who used it.
At 3 pm, the committee ended its meeting. Today’s proceedings will go on as Mpofu continues to cross-examine Van Loggerenberg.
After Van Loggerenberg exits the witness stand, former deputy Sars commissioner Ivan Pillay, who Mkhwebane also lost a case against, is anticipated to take the stand.
