The disciplinary hearing of disgraced Beaufort West politician Truman Prince will resume on Sunday morning when the African National Congress will call its last two witnesses to testify.
”We heard testimony from four ANC witnesses today. Tomorrow [Sunday], the ANC will close its case and then Prince will call his witnesses,” the Western Cape head of the ANC’s legal and monitoring task team, Hishaam Mohamed, said on Saturday evening.
He said earlier he hoped the hearing would be disposed of this weekend. It is being chaired by attorney Peter Williams.
Two taxis full of Prince’s supporters, some sporting white T-shirts with the face of Prince on them, milled outside the building where the hearing was taking place in camera.
They did not want to be interviewed by the media, telling a South African Press Association journalist to stay away from them.
”Bly net weg, meneer … jy gaan net moeilikheid kry [Just stay away, mister, you’ll only get trouble],” the journalist was told.
Prince’s strained relationship with the media and his disciplinary hearing arise from a Special Assignment documentary on SABC3 on child prostitution that showed him flirting with under-age girls.
Among other alleged offences, Prince faces criminal charges of assault and riotous behaviour after a scuffle with a South African Broadcasting Corporation television crew last month.
It is unclear whether Western Cape Premier and ANC chairperson Ebrahim Rasool and the party provincial secretary, Mcebisi Skwatsha, will attend Sunday’s proceedings. — Sapa