POLITICAL WEEK AHEAD: Elections lists due and Mokgoro inquiry to hand in report

After six weeks of hearing evidence, retired Constitutional Court justice Yvonne Mokgoro and her co-panellists will submit a report to President Cyril Ramaphosa on whether Nomgcobo Jiba and Lawrence Mrwebi are fit to hold office.

Jiba is a suspended deputy national director of public prosecutions and Mrwebi a suspended special director who heads up the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit. The inquiry is seen to be part of the process to restore integrity at the National Prosecuting Authority, which has been seen as politically abused in the past decade.

Mokgoro and her co-panellists — advocate Kgomotso Moroka SC and Thenjiwe Vilakazi — have heard evidence from 17 witnesses, including Jiba and Mrwebi, who among others dealt with prosecutorial decisions taken on cases that were politically sensitive, such as the decision to withdraw fraud and corruption charges against former crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli and their subsequent actions in the litigation that followed.

The inquiry said the report and supporting documents would be submitted to Ramaphosa this week but did not give a specific day for when this would happen.

In a separate process, the Constitutional Court will on Thursday hear arguments in an application for leave to appeal the Supreme Court of Appeal judgment that placed Jiba and Mrwebi back on the roll of advocates in 2018. The application is being brought by the General Council of the Bar of SA.

It is also a big week in the lead-up to the national and provincial elections, which will take place on May 8. Political parties have until 5pm on Wednesday to submit their candidate lists for national and provincial government. The lists will be scrutinised after their submission and members of the public will have a chance to lodge any objections. 

All eyes will be on the ANC lists to see how the party has dealt with members who have been implicated on allegations of corruption and state capture, while the DA lists are expected to be scrutinised in terms of how diverse the candidates are.

The Electoral Commission of SA has until Thursday to decide on objections to the provisional voters roll and to notify those who objected.

The state capture commission of inquiry, which is chaired by deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo, will continue hearing evidence this week relating to “technically bankrupt” state-owned enterprise Eskom.

Parliament will have a busy week with public hearings on the Carbon Tax Bill, Customs and Excise Amendment Bill and the Public Investment Corporation Amendment Bill. The PIC amendment bill was adopted by the National Assembly at the end of February and is aimed at strengthening the accountability, transparency and corporate governance of  Africa’s largest investment manager.

Deputy president David Mabuza is scheduled to answer questions at Tuesday’s National Assembly plenary sitting.

The Traditional Courts Bill, the Banks Amendment Bill and the Financial Matters Amendment Bill are scheduled for consideration at Tuesday’s National Assembly sitting.

On Thursday, the National Assembly is scheduled to consider reports from the portfolio committee on trade & industry recommending approval for three international treaties, and the portfolio committee on police’s report on the confirmation of police minister Bheki Cele’s recommendation not to renew the term of office of Robert McBride as executive director of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.

The portfolio committee on communications will deliberate on the outcome of interviews of candidates for the SABC’s board.

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