The former chairperson of the National Assembly’s portfolio committee on public enterprises, Zukiswa Rantho, on Tuesday detailed threats against her family during the parliamentary inquiry into malfeasance at Eskom.
Rantho, who was not returned as ANC MP after the 2019 national and provincial elections, told the commission of inquiry into state capture that her family faced threats and intimidation during the inquiry, which was concluded in 2018.
She said her son was confronted and her husband followed during that period.
”We were living in fear but when I informed the National Assembly Speaker (Baleka Mbete), there was a follow-up by security people,” Rantho said.
According to Rantho, she was not assigned a real security but there were people who were looking from afar at her house.
She said she was steadfast in her approach to fulfilling her duties.
”I cannot stop doing what I was doing. If there is a need for me to get hurt, I will be healed,” Rantho maintained.
She admitted that the committee’s work was undertaken at great risk and that the ANC caucus was divided, but MPs in favour of the inquiry pursued it regardless of the risks involved.
Rantho said the committee had great support from South Africans.
”There was a lot of pressure, people who did not want us to continue with the inquiry,” she said, adding that she persisted so that South Africans got the right information.
Evidence leader Alec Freund said in terms of Rantho’s statement, there was a substantial push to scupper the inquiry in the ANC caucus and that the views were communicated to her in clear and emphatic terms.
Rantho said the issue of the inquiry was taken to the ANC caucus where there were members who felt it was not necessary to proceed with the inquiry.
However, Rantho said they stood firm as a committee and that it was going to proceed.
She also praised late minister in the presidency and former ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu for his role in defending the inquiry.
Rantho said Mthembu, who died of Covid-19-related complications last month, assured MPs that they must continue even if there were people in the caucus who did not want the inquiry to go through.
Mthembu, according to Rantho, assured members of the committee that the majority of ANC national executive committee members wanted the inquiry to continue.
She said some members of the ANC caucus feared that the inquiry would implicate party members.
Commission chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo asked if there were ANC members who thought it would be protecting the governing party if allegations were not brought into the open
”That’s correct, chairperson,” Rantho responded.
DA MP James Selfe started giving evidence on Tuesday afternoon.
Political Bureau