Van Rooyen seeks to cross-examine former Treasury DG Lungisa Fuzile

Published Feb 18, 2019

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Johannesburg - Former finance minister Des van Rooyen intends to apply to cross-examine former Treasury director-general Lungisa Fuzile. 

On Monday, van Rooyen's lawyers told the commission's chair Raymond Zondo that he wants to cross-examine Fuzile. 

Zondo has asked that van Rooyen's legal team should finalise certain aspects of his application before it can be heard. Van Rooyen is also willing to give his version of events in compliance with the opportunity to cross-examine. 

Fuzile's legal team said he was willing to appear and face cross-examination, while the National Treasury has also indicated that it wants to apply to cross-examine van Rooyen. 

A new date to hear Fuzile's cross-examination and for van Rooyen's appearance will be set. 

Fuzile returned to the commission for a second time after his first appearance last year. He is expected to corroborate what has been said by other officials and also provide more information to the commission. 

He served as the DG at Treasury until 2017. 

He had appeared at the inquiry last year and told of the days leading up to former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene’s firing in 2015.

He told the inquiry of his encounter with van Rooyen and also how he was warned after Nene was fired that he would be receiving a "Gupta minister". 

Van Rooyen was only able to serve a few days as finance minister after he was replaced by Pravin Gordhan after a tail-spin in the markets. 

Fuzile said van Rooyen had brought in two advisors who seemed unknown to him. 

The inquiry continues.

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