CAPE TOWN: Parliament has given Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola until the end of January to finalise the investigation into the utterances of the department's audit committee chairperson. -
On Thursday, Independent Media reported that the justice and portfolio committee wanted action taken against audit committee chairperson Jane Masite after she was heard saying “these people are boring” at the end of a virtual parliamentary meeting on Tuesday.
Commissioner Arthur Fraser was quoted as saying Masite was not an official of the department, but rather an independent appointment by Lamola.
Fraser said Lamola should conduct the investigation.
On Friday, committee chairperson Bulelani Magwanishe said he had received a letter from Lamola and had asked it to be circulated to MPs.
In his letter, Lamola asked to be afforded time to investigate the matter.
DA MP Glynis Breytenbach said she had no objection in principle with Lamola dealing with the matter.
"It should not be an open-ended deal. The investigation must be done and a report back be made within a specified time, not sometime into the future," Breytenbach said.
ACDP MP Steve Swart, ANC MPs Jacqui Mofokeng and Nomathemba Maseko-Jele agreed that Lamola should be given more time to do the investigation.
Magwanishe said Lamola should be given until the end of January to conduct his investigation.
"By or before January 31, the minister should have concluded his investigation taking into account that very soon departments and everybody else will be closed," he said.
Political Bureau