‘Section 194 Inquiry won’t be distracted by gossip,’ says ANC MP on Mkhwebane extortion claims

Some MPs have come to the defence of the Section 194 Committee chairperson, Qubudile Dyantyi, amid allegations that he attempted to solicit a bribe from suspended public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.

Dyantyi, African National Congress (ANC) chief whip Pemmy Majodina and former minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson have been accused trying to extort funds from Mkhwebane to make her impeachment inquiry into her fitness to hold office “go away”.

While a case has since been opened with the police, National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula also advised Mkhwebane to formally file a complaint with the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests.

‘Fiction’

In a meeting on Friday, United Democratic Movement (UDM) MP Bantu Holomisa asked the committee to address the allegations hanging over Dyantyi before the inquiry resumed next week.

“It would be possible that on Monday the chairperson of the Ethics Committee, who has been approached by the public protector on the advice of the Speaker, comes and briefs the committee before we start.

“Perhaps the Speaker or the Ethics Committee, if they want, should also liase with the Hawks who I believe are investigating this matter so that we know [what happened] because these allegations are serious,” Holomisa said.

But ANC deputy chief whip Doris Dlakude urged the committee to refrain from getting involved.

“It will be unfair to get into a matter that doesn’t concern us,” she said.

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ANC MP Boyce Maneli shared the same sentiments, saying the matter should be dealt with by the relevant structures unless it affected the committee’s work.

“I’m saying this without subtracting the fact that we are where we are because the committee has bent backwards to enter into a space that we believe that we should have not, but all of this was done because it had material implications for the continuation of this inquiry,” Maneli said.

Xola Nqola, also from the ANC, labelled the allegations as “fiction” aimed at tainting the inquiry as the process edges towards its finality.

“We are not going to allow ourselves to be defocused by gossip in the streets or any fictitious kind of activity that is happening out there.”

Dyantyi, meanwhile, highlighted that the committee would not stop any person from raising their grievances.

“There are always platforms, whether it’s the court and if there are serious allegations of corrupt activities and criminality, where those things must be sent to, whether it’s laying charges… they are within their own rights to do that,” he said.

Watch the meeting below:

‘Expose the whistleblower’

Speaking to the SABC on Thursday, Mkhwebane insisted that there was evidence to back up the allegations and this was given to the police when her husband, Mandla Skosana, opened a case of extortion last week.

The public protector also confirmed that she laid her complaint with the Ethics Committee, but expressed her dissatisfaction with the Speaker’s decision to decline her request for a meeting.

“I said I wanted to discuss with you as a whistleblower and privately I wanted to engage her and tell her and inform her what has transpired. She then as well said no I can’t meet with you, just refer the matter to the Ethics Committee.

“Now the worst part is that she went ahead to even expose the whistleblower. The letter is very clear, very clear that can you keep this, there’s a confidential and very sensitive matter I would want to discuss with you involving the members of the committee,” Mkhwebane said.

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