The judicial commission of inquiry into state capture hit a speed bump as Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo was forced to postpone the testimony of former IPID head Robert McBride so that notices could be served on implicated parties.
WATCH LIVE | State Capture Inquiry
(Courtesy of SABC)
Zondo pushes for an even earlier start of 09:00, but gives Pretorius the option of the 09:30 start, with proceedings then running later than usual.
Pretorius tells Zondo he prefers the latter.
Zondo adjourns. Proceedings will pick up again on Thursday morning at 09:30.
Zondo proposes that proceedings should then start earlier on Thursday and Friday morning, in an effort to make up for lost time.
Pretorius suggests 09:30 as a starting time, and says McBride's opening statement should take between 1-2 hours, but he will endeavour at aiming to keep it to one hour.
Zondo grants the postponement of McBride's testimony until Thursday, and the postponement of Booysen's testimony until Monday.
As a result, Zondo says in a sombre tone, there will be no hearing of any evidence until Thursday morning.
"That's not acceptable," Zondo tells Pretorius, while referring to the previous postponement of McBride's evidence in February, for this same reason.
Pretorius tells Zondo there are also "logistical challenges, which we needn't deal with in public..."
Pretorius: "...provided an implicated party has ample time, at least two weeks, and in this case it will be more, to consider his or her position, brief counsel, or seek assistance from the commission itself to prepare an application for cross-examination or to lead evidence, either personally or through other people, any prejudice involved can be avoided."
Pretorius says on the basis of this application, as it relates to McBride's testimony, any serious prejudice can be avoided.
By the same token, the testimony of former KZN Hawks boss Johan Booysen, meant to follow McBride, would also be postponed.
Pretorius earlier mentioned the "failure" of the commission's legal team to duly notify implicated parties, with regard to McBride's testimony.
Pretorius says the postponement of McBride's testimony is to allow implicated parties to be notified, as per the rules of the commission.
Pretorius now cites the various rules pertaining to this decision.
Pretorius addresses Zondo on a point of postponing the testimony of Robert McBride until Thursday.
Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo takes his seat and greets everyone.
He is now addressed by Advocate Paul Pretorius, head of the commission's legal team.
ICYMI:
IPID boss Robert McBride expected to blow the whistle on
Claims of attempts to capture the SA Police Service, the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) are expected to take centre stage on Thursday when former IPID boss Robert McBride testifies before the state capture commission of inquiry.
McBride, former Hawks head Anwa Dramat and former Gauteng Hawks boss Shadrack Sibiya separately held meetings with the commission's investigators previously.
In September, TimesLIVE reported that state capture inquiry commissioners were to be briefed about a secret police death squad trained in offensive warfare and which was possibly involved in political assassinations, break-ins and harassment during the Zuma presidency.
ICYMI:
McBride says politics behind bid to get him out of IPID
Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) head Robert McBride believes that Police Minister Bheki Cele's decision to not extend his term for another five years is political and that putting an acting head in his place will be bad for ongoing investigations into powerful people.
"The citizens of our country are rightly alarmed and concerned about the level of corruption that is plaguing our country," said McBride in his motivation to Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police for why his term should be extended for another five years.
"This concern will be exacerbated should this committee take an unjustified decision on the renewal of my appointment – particularly if the committee places reliance on submissions from the minister that are based on refuted or withdrawn allegations, and that are informed by political motive."
ICYMI:
Project Moetapele: Ace Magashule's dirty little Gupta secret
Between 2006 and 2009, ANC secretary general Ace Magashule was a business partner of Rajesh "Tony" Gupta - and records in the Gupta leaks show around R100 000 was paid from Gupta-owned Sahara Systems to their company.
One payment reference was captured in accounting records as "Mr Ace".
Magashule and Gupta's shared directorship of a mysterious company named Moetapele Projects has provided the first documentary evidence giving reliable clues to the origins of Magashule's relationship with the controversial Gupta family.
ICYMI:
Gupta associates wanted to 'milk Free State dry', former MEC tells Zondo commission
Former Free State MEC for economic development Mxolisi Dukwana on Friday alleged that he was fired by former Free State premier and current ANC secretary general Ace Magashule for not approving a multimillion-rand Gupta-linked contract in 2012.
Dukwana took to the stand at the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture on Friday, delivering damning testimony over how he was roped into a meeting with Rajesh "Tony" Gupta by Magashule at the Gupta compound in late 2011.
Gupta allegedly offered him R2m in cash if he signed a letter appointing Gupta-linked businessman Iqbal Sharma’s company to undertake the development of a master plan for a new "City for Tomorrow" – a project that planned to establish a high-tech urban development somewhere near Welkom.
ICYMI:
'Brother Ace' gets a million - Tony Gupta allegedly tells Dukwana
Rajesh "Tony" Gupta allegedly told former Free State MEC Mxolisi Dukwana that he was a trustworthy man who would drive to the house of ANC secretary general Ace Magashule and Duduzane Zuma, the son of the former president, to deliver a million rand in cash every month.
Dukwana was testifying at the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture on Friday.
He told inquiry chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo that Magashule introduced him to the controversial Gupta family, who are accused of using their relationship with former president Jacob Zuma to loot the state around 2012.
ICYMI:
IN DEPTH: #GuptaLeaks - The investigation into Ace Magashule, the MEC and the R2m Gupta bribe
In an attempt to muscle in on a R140m consultancy deal in 2011, one Gupta brother allegedly offered former Free State MEC for economic development Mxolisi Dukwana a R2m bribe to approve the awarding of a contract to Gupta-linked businessmen.
Before the now infamous Estina dairy farm project got off the ground, the Gupta family and their associates had first set their hopes on a potential R20bn 'City for Tomorrow' (CFT) project in the province, a News24 investigation has found.
News24 also found that Rajesh 'Tony' Gupta was eyeing a roughly R80m cut of the initial R140m phase of the project for little or no work in what has emerged as a remarkably similar scheme to Estina.
ICYMI:
'Mlambo told two wrong things' - Mantashe says state capture investigator lied under oath
ANC chairperson and Minister of Mineral Resources Gwede Mantashe has accused one of the investigators of the state capture inquiry of lying under oath.
The investigator, Patrick Mlambo, earlier told inquiry chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, that he received a call from Mantashe who was unhappy about a site visit to his property without his permission.
Mlambo said Mantashe indicated that he would fire his employee for giving permission for the inspection of his property in Elliot in the Eastern Cape.
ICYMI:
We cannot 'summon' Magashule over corruption claims - ANC integrity commission
ANC secretary general Ace Magashule will not appear before the party's integrity committee unless its national executive committee (NEC) decides he should do so.
This is according to integrity committee chairperson George Mashamba, who told News24 that the committee had no powers to summon him in order to assess the impact that claims made against him had on the governing party.
His comments follow a decision by the NEC to refer its entire list of candidates nominated to serve in the National Assembly and in provincial legislatures to the integrity committee.
ICYMI:
'Mr Ten Percent': How Ace Magashule captured the Free State
ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule has stood at the "head of a well-organised state-capture network" in the Free State for almost a decade.
This network has scooped millions of rands of taxpayers’ money in schemes seemingly presided over by Magashule and has allegedly seen people like former president Jacob Zuma, the Gupta family, some of the Magashule children, the former provincial premier himself and a host of connected ANC politicians benefit from various government schemes.
ICYMI:
Mantashe's security upgrades cost R650K, Agrizzi estimates
Security upgrades at three of the homes belonging to ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe were valued at a massive R650 000, according to the estimates of Angelo Agrizzi, former Bosasa chief operations officer.
"Chair, the payments were covered up in cash, but I would estimate that an installation of that size would be R650 000 on all three sites," Agrizzi told state capture commission of inquiry chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
Bosasa, now known as African Global Operations, allegedly bribed top ANC leaders in exchange for lucrative government tenders.