The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) Chief Whip in Parliament, Dr Corné Mulder, has dismissed claims that the African National Congress (ANC) Parliamentary Chief Whip, Pemmy Majodina, attempted to solicit funds from the now-suspended Public Protector, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
This comes after a case was opened with the police that Majodina tried to extort funds from Mkhwebane to make her Section 194 Inquiry into her fitness to hold office go away.
Majodina, the former cabinet minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson, and the chairperson of the Section 194 committee, Qubudile Dyantyi, have been implicated in the allegations.
Dr Mulder explains, “I think if one looks objectively at these claims, it is highly unlikely that [the allegations] would have been the case. I think, with all due respect, we are now at the end of this process. But there was another attempt to extend this process and the parliamentary programming committee basically said no.”
“This now needs to come to a close. Maybe it is a coincidence, maybe it is not, that suddenly these allegations have come to the fore and I think it is highly unlikely.”
Audio below is of Dr Corné Mulder:
A case has since been opened with the police.
Majodina denies any knowledge of the matter and says she will not take this matter lying down.
“I have not been called by any police. I don’t know when this thing happened and I am going to sue uMzilikazi [journalist Mzilikazi Wa Afrika]. I mean dragging my name, I don’t even sit on that committee and this is not the first time with South African journalists. When this committee started its work there was an article that I bribed ANC members with a million rands, that I must find Mkhwebane guilty.”
“How do you bribe people who are on a fact-finding mission? So today, it’s me now who wants to end this case of Mkhwebane. I mean, how is that possible? Oh no oh no you know this cheap destructive journalism, it’s not on.”
One-on-one meeting
Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has declined a request for a one-on-one meeting with suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
The Speaker’s office says Mkhwebane has written to Mapisa-Nqakula requesting to meet with her confidentially to discuss allegations of corruption in the section 194 inquiry into her fitness to hold office.
The speaker has instead advised her to formally file a complaint with the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests through the Office of the Registrar.
Parliament’s spokesperson Moloto Mothapo explains, “Meetings of the Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests and Sub-Committee must be closed to the public until such time as a finding is reached, which, together with the reasons, therefore, are made public. Given that the procedure for referring matters for investigation at the level of Parliament is clearly outlined in the Code and on the website of Parliament, Adv. Mkhwebane did not need to meet with the Speaker to discuss it. It is important that the Speaker remains impartial throughout this process.”
