South African National Assembly speaker asks to cancel appearance — TimesLIVE
In South Africa, National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza asked the commission chaired by Sisi Khampepe to cancel her scheduled appearance. At the same time, her spokesperson confirmed that Didiza is to appear before the commission.
As TimesLIVE reports, in written testimony Didiza said that the allegations concerning her were not sufficiently specific and that she had nothing to answer to. In 2006, she served as acting justice minister for just over five weeks, replacing Brigitte Mabandla, who was in hospital at the time.
Alleged meetings
The commission is investigating possible interference and delays in criminal prosecutions of people involved in human rights violations under apartheid following the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Didiza is to be heard regarding two meetings in 2006 in which she allegedly may have taken part.
The first allegedly took place at the home of the late social development minister Zola Skweyiya. According to the version set out in the materials, prosecutions in the case of Reverend Frank Chikane were discussed there amid concerns that holding apartheid-era police accountable could pave the way for the prosecution of African National Congress members.
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Those said to have possibly attended included then ministers Charles Nqakula and Mosiuoa Lekota, as well as Didiza and Skweyiya. Former national director of public prosecutions Vusi Pikoli was, according to these claims, summoned to the meeting.
Didiza's position
Didiza said Pikoli's testimony did not link her to an attempt to influence a criminal prosecution. According to her, Pikoli did not remember her taking a particular position and described her as someone who mostly listened.
She also reported that documents from that period were unavailable. Her legal representatives requested materials from the commission but, according to Didiza, did not receive the records needed to provide a proper response. She said she had left all official documents with the relevant departments after her acting tenure ended.
The second allegation concerns a meeting of security cluster ministers at which the creation of a task team was approved. It was later referred to as an investigative team for cases left over from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Didiza denied that specific statements, positions or actions regarding the creation or work of this team had been attributed to her, and said she was prepared to cooperate if the commission required her presence or written responses.
