Thoko Didiza clarifies Ad Hoc Committee's timeline and witness subpoena issues

National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza has set the record straight regarding the extension of the lifespan of the Ad Hoc Committee and the issuing of subpoenas for two witnesses that have refused to appear before the parliamentary inquiry.

This comes after Didiza was accused by the EFF of delaying in issuing subpoenas for the appearance of forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan and North West businessman Brown Mogotsi, who have raised security concerns.

The matter was brought up at the Programme Committee on Thursday, with the EFF asking about the new date for the extension of the Ad Hoc Committee’s mandate and why she stopped the subpoenas.

In response, Didiza stated that she did not respond to media issues relating to the Ad Hoc Committee on a principled basis.

“I responded to the request made by the committee, assisted by legal services. I applied my mind, and I gave guidance to the committee. The committee deliberated and responded to me,” she said.

Didiza also said she and the committee are dealing with the matters and that the Ad Hoc Committee was looking at how to programme witnesses.

ANC Chief Whip Mdumiseni Ntuli said Didiza’s intervention on issuing subpoenas of Mogotsi and O’Sullivan was due to the committee not having adequately responded to the concerns raised by the pair on why they should not appear, and that she had to give guidance that they must deal with their concerns.

“The Ad Hoc Committee must effectively discharge its responsibility in line with the guidance of the Speaker,” said Ntuli.

Didiza stated that it was Parliament that granted an extension to the committee after a request was tabled in the House.

The motion was adopted by the House, and the committee was given until February 20 to finish its work.

“The House was very clear that the issue the committee must address is whether the allegations made are authentic and, if so, what must be done about them. I think it is important to go back to what the mandate of the committee was. Their mandate was very clear in terms of what they needed to do.”

Didiza also said that once the committee has performed its mandate, it must make recommendations and give guidance to Parliament in terms of how the matters must be dealt with.

“I will request that we appreciate and wait for that committee to do its work, and where there are issues of guidance, those will be communicated to the committee itself,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Ad Hoc Committee concluded the public participation sessions on Thursday.

It granted an opportunity to former State Security Agency official Xolile Mashukuca to seek permission from the security agency to make an appearance.

The committee has yet to schedule other witnesses, but it is unlikely to do so given the five days allocated for the State of the Nation Address and the tabling of the 2026 Budget in the coming two weeks.

Committee Chairperson, Soviet Lekganyane, said they would work only two days next week, Tuesday and Wednesday, following their housekeeping meeting on Monday.

Lekganyane said there was a possibility that they may not work on February 17- 19, when there would be a SONA debate and the tabling of the 2026 Budget on February 25.

“When we get to our next meeting of the committee, we must think about how we are to work on the remaining list of witnesses,” he said.

The secretariat and the legal team have been advised to finalise a timetable for the appearance of the witness for the two days next week and until February 20.

 “If there are suggestions to the Speaker, those should be practical suggestions,” said Lekganyane.

Engagements with Mogotsi and O’Sullivan regarding their appearances were still under way.

In the event the pair won’t appear, Lieutenant-General Francina Vuma, who has submitted a draft affidavit, is likely to testify.

“Those two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, I can assure you that we are to use them profitably. There is no way the legal team can come here empty-handed and say we have no witnesses,” said Lekganyane.

He was confident that the housekeeping meeting on Monday would finalise what should be done from Thursday next week until February 19, just a day before their lifespan expires.

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za