National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has approved a request to summon former public protector Thuli Madonsela and another witness to appear before the section 194 inquiry which is investigating her successor Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s fitness to hold office.
“Yesterday I received a request to support a summoning of some of the witnesses to appear before the Dyantyi panel,” announced Mapisa-Nqacula on Thursday.
“We have since signed and concurred with that and hopefully the panel will be able to receive representations from those witnesses,” she said.
Earlier this week, the committee considered a request from Mkhwebane to subpoena five witnesses who won’t testify voluntarily.
But the committee only agreed to submit two applications to the Speaker for consideration.
Traditionally Parliament views a subpoena as a last resort to get someone to appear before one of its committees.
Mkhwebane’s legal team believes Madonsela can provide information about investigations that were started before Mkhwebane took over, and about case backlogs.
ANC MP Richard Dyantyi chairs the inquiry.
The committee for the inquiry announced on Tuesday that it had resolved to accede to Mkhwebane’s request and summon Madonsela to testify.
Dyantyi said the committee agreed that Madonsela could add value to the process, as she handled some of the investigations that constitute the subject matter of the motion before the committee.
It further agreed to the request to have Bianca Mvuyana, an investigator in the office of the public protector, summoned to testify.
Mkhwebane announced in November that she will call Madonsela to give evidence in her impeachment inquiry.
The Committee declined to request subpoenas for the appearance of deputy public protector Kholeka Gcaleka, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and Democratic Alliance Member of Parliament Natasha Mazzone.
It will be the first time that witnesses will be summoned to appear before the inquiry.
Source: Sowetan Live, Eyewitness News, Times Live, image from Twitter: @StarFMNews919