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ActionSA demands the urgent finalisation of the appearance of Brown Mogotsi and Paul O’Sullivan before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee, following a prolonged and unnecessary impasse which now threatens to derail the work of the Committee as the deadline rapidly approaches.

While ActionSA notes the Speaker’s correspondence to the Committee, which provides important clarification and direction on the available mechanisms to compel the appearance of witnesses, it is concerning that this intervention comes so late in the process.

The Speaker’s position highlights a troubling lack of decisiveness and alignment between Parliament’s leadership and the Chairperson of the Ad Hoc Committee on whether all available avenues have, in fact, been properly pursued.

Although both witnesses have placed unreasonable conditions on their physical appearance before the Committee – including making unilateral security risk assessments for which there is no provision and which they are neither authorised nor entitled to impose, conditions not afforded to any other witness, the prolonged delay cannot be attributed to witness conduct alone.

The failure to act decisively rests equally with the Chairperson of the Committee, whose responsibility it is to ensure that parliamentary processes are enforced firmly, consistently, and without hesitation.

Given the seriousness of the allegations under investigation, Parliament’s leadership must now bring this stalemate to an end. This Committee cannot become yet another process where taxpayer money is wasted,  and deadlines are repeatedly extended due to inefficient institutional management.

The Ad Hoc Committee has clearly expressed its intention to secure the appearance of both witnesses. It is therefore incumbent upon both the Speaker of Parliament and the Chairperson of the Committee to provide decisive leadership to ensure their appearance before the 20 February 2026 deadline.

Parliament’s authority cannot be undermined by individuals who appear to believe that accountability to Parliament is optional rather than obligatory.

Issued by ActionSA Member of Parliament Dereleen James