4 more witnesses due to appear before Parliament's inquiry into police graft

Four more witnesses are due to appear before Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating police corruption on Tuesday.

Two of them have asked the committee not to identify them before they appear.

On Monday, political parties bumped heads over their final list of witnesses as their deadline to wrap up the probe fast approaches.

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However, Democratic Alliance (DA) member of Parliament (MP) Dianne Kohler-Barnard and the National Coloured Congress (NCC)’s Fadiel Adams both accused of the improper handling of Crime Intelligence information have been set down to testify next week.

While political parties have largely agreed that the personal assistant of forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan, Sarah Trent, should be added to its final set of witnesses, they are not pleased that Speaker Thoko Didiza has rejected their request to summon O’Sullivan to appear in person.

On Monday, two more witnesses - one proposed by the Patriotic Alliance (PA), and another by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) - were added to the list.

However, parties could not agree on whether it’s sufficient for President Cyril Ramaphosa to only make a written submission.

EFF leader Julius Malema accused African National Congress (ANC) MPs of trying to shield the president.

“It’s partisan, and unconstitutional and sends a wrong precedent that presidents can be treated differently from how other citizens are being treated.”

Chairperson Soviet Lekganyane has proposed the committee’s legal advisors should help determine whether individuals over whom there’s disagreement should be added to the witness list.

Tuesday’s first witness is Xolile Mashukuca, a former chairperson of the State Security council.