SABC probe: Luthuli House in the spotlight

DA spokesperson Phumzile van Damme. Picture: David Ritchie

DA spokesperson Phumzile van Damme. Picture: David Ritchie

Published Jan 27, 2017

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Cape Town – ANC MPs in the ad hoc committee have denied taking instructions from Luthuli House for changing their position on the recommendations into the SABC.

The DA and other opposition parties on Friday accused ANC MPs of reneging on their earlier stance to include recommendations in the draft report after being instructed by Luthuli House.

The wrangle in the ad hoc committee into the SABC came after legal advisers from Parliament said the recommendations must be excluded from the report.

On Thursday the ANC first proposed that the recommendations be left out of the draft report.

But this led to an uproar in the ad hoc committee with opposition parties accusing the ANC of a U-turn.

Lawyers from Parliament were asked by the committee to give a legal opinion.

DA MP Phumzile van Damme said she was concerned about the bad legal advice the committee received.

“I am disappointed by the legal advice. It wouldn’t be the first time Parliament has been given bad legal advice,” she said.

She said it has not happened people implicated in the draft report would be given the report without recommendations.

Her colleague Mike Waters said the change of decision was because of the instruction from Luthuli House.

Juli Kilian, the ANC MP who introduced the matter on Thursday, denied there was an instruction from Luthuli House.

She was backed by her other colleagues Fezeka Loliwe and Hlomane Chauke.

They said the report would give ammunition to the implicated parties if it included affected parties.

Political Bureau

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