‘Not much to offer’: Didiza asks TRC commission to scrap her appearance - TimesLIVE

National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza is due to appear before the Khampepe commission tomorrow over allegations that a meeting she attended in 2006 poisoned Reverend Frank Chikane, but she says she does not have much to offer.

Didiza, who was acting justice minister for just more than five weeks in 2006, is due to appear before the judicial commission of inquiry over allegations concerning two meetings she allegedly attended while acting for then justice minister Brigitte Mabandla, who was hospitalised at the time.

Her spokesperson confirmed yesterday that she will appear.

Chaired by retired justice Sisi Khampepe, the commission is investigating possible interference and delays to post-Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) prosecutions of apartheid-era perpetrators of human rights abuses.

In an affidavit, Didiza said the first meeting, allegedly held at the home of the late social development minister Zola Skweyiya, was said to have been called to discuss prosecutions in the Chikane matter amid concerns that pursuing the case against apartheid police could open the door to the prosecution of ANC members.

The meeting allegedly included then police minister Charles Nqakula, defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota, Didiza and Skweyiya. Former national director of public prosecutions Vusi Pikoli was allegedly summoned to attend.

As with the alleged meeting at Mr Skweyiya’s home, no individual statement, view, or act is attributed to me.

But Didiza said Pikoli’s evidence did not implicate her in any attempt to influence the prosecution. Pikoli’s evidence was that he had “no recollection of a particular position adopted by the acting minister of justice”, and of her being “more passive in listening”

“There is no particular allegation for me to answer arising from this meeting,” she said.

She also questioned the absence of contemporaneous records relating to the meeting. “My legal representatives requested such records from the commission,” but she has not been provided with the documents needed to properly respond and allegations against her lack specificity.

“The allegations relate to about a six-week period, over 20 years ago, when I was in an acting position. All official documents and records in my possession at the time were left with the relevant departments when I left office,” she said.

The second allegation concerns a subsequent meeting of security cluster ministers at which a proposal to establish a working group was accepted. Later referred to as an investigative task team, it was involved in matters concerning outstanding TRC cases.

Didiza said no specific statement, view or act had been attributed to her in relation to the meeting.

“As with the alleged meeting at Mr Skweyiya’s home, no individual statement, view, or act is attributed to me,” she said, further disputing any suggestion that she played a role in establishing or operating the task team.

Didiza pointed to evidence that the task team’s first meeting, on October 12 2006, was attended by Pikoli, his adviser Kalyani Pillay, senior officials from the National Intelligence Agency and the department of justice. She was not alleged to have attended that meeting.

The passage of time and absence of records made it difficult for her to respond to the allegations, Didiza said. She remains willing to co-operate if the commission required her attendance or wanted further written questions answered, she added.