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The attempt by Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala to postpone his testimony to the Ad Hoc Committee probing alleged police corruption should be rejected with contempt. The allegations against him are extremely serious and central to the nature of the enquiry.

Matlala should be wanting to have his side of the story ventilated in the Committee, which is arguably a significantly easier place to testify than the Madlanga Commission or a court of law. Matlala will have seen the commission tearing into Brown Mogotsi’s story last week.   

Despite the entire Ad Hoc Committee moving to Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Facility to hear from him, however, Matalala is now attempting an eleventh-hour postponement. It smells very similar to the Stalingrad strategy of former President Zuma to avoid accountability. 

Without the testimony by Matlala, the Committee would likely draw the negative inference that he is seeking to avoid incriminating himself. It’s an inference that an “innocent” Matlala should actively seek to avoid. Instead he is avoiding the opportunity to clear his name.

The costs associated with postponing the cross examination of a person of interest until he deems himself ready and comfortable is a non-starter. His lawyers have had ample time to prepare his testimony and gather the relevant documents and evidence. 

The Ad Hoc Committee is set to end soon having not heard from the most implicated individual.

The GOOD Party calls on members of the Ad Hoc Committee to ensure that Matlala is given no opportunity to weasel out of his appearance before it.

Justice must be done, and seen to be done. If implicated people are not held to account patriots such as Babita Deokaran and Armand Swart, among others, will have died in vain, and injustice and lawlessness will continue to reign.

*The GOOD Party is a founding member of UNITE FOR CHANGE.

Issued by Brett Herron, GOOD Secretary- General and Unite for Change Leadership Council Member