MPs turn to Mbete for more state capture inquiry funding, according to report
The parliamentary chief legal adviser has cautioned against procuring legal heavyweights to lead evidence, saying it will be costly.
FILE PICTURE: Parliament. Siyabulela Duda
Following concerns from various political parties represented in the portfolio committee on public enterprises that the inquiry may be jeopardised by a lack of resources, chairperson Zukiswa Rantho and other MPs held a meeting with Baleka Mbete and House chairperson Cedric Frolic to request more funding.
Parliamentary legal services last week informed the committee that there was no budget ring-fenced for the inquiry, with the costs compounded by the evidence leader the committee would have preferred.
Earlier this month, Rantho told The Citizen that Advocate Ntuthuzelo Vanara, who led evidence during the SABC’s ad-hoc committee, was unable to make himself available, as he had been delegated to work with the ethics committee.
This, together with lack of financial resources for what is expected to be an arduous inquiry aimed at uncovering the extent of state capture in state-owned enterprises, led to some opposition parties expressing their reservations about the capacity of parliamentarians to interrogate the matter extensively.
READ MORE: Committee to ask for more funds for state capture probe
According to The Business Day, outraged by what appeared to be an attempt to subvert the committee’s work, MPs from across the political spectrum sent a delegation to discuss the matter with Mbete during a meeting held on Tuesday.
Parliament’s chief legal adviser, Zuraya Adhikarie, had earlier cautioned against the committee seeking the services of external legal experts due to Vanara’s absence, saying such a move could result in the committee spending considerably more time to wrap up its work and the exercises becoming too costly.
DA spokesperson on public enterprises Natasha Mazzone was reportedly upbeat after the delegation met Mbete.
“We had a frank discussion about what capabilities of the committee were. There was an appreciation by the speaker of the immensity of the task,” Mazzone told The Business Day, and added she was encouraged by Mbete’s amenability.
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