The African National Congress (ANC) parliamentary caucus has rejected the portfolio committee on correctional services’ call for a fresh investigation into Annanias Mathe’s escape from C-Max high-security prison, saying it has confidence in the agencies that probed the prisoner’s escape.
”Caucus [has] expressed its confidence in the departments and agencies that formed part of the investigating task team to rectify any shortcomings, real or perceived, in the investigation,” it said in a statement on Thursday.
The committee, chaired by ANC MP Dennis Bloem, last week rejected the findings of the task team that investigated Mathe’s escape as vague, calling for the appointment of a retired judge to reinvestigate the matter.
However, the ANC caucus said there is no need for another inquiry.
”Accordingly, caucus expressed the view that a judicial commission of inquiry into the matter is not necessary,” it said.
The caucus’s decision means that all ANC MPs in the portfolio committee on correctional services will now have to withdraw their support on the fresh investigation position and endorse the task team’s findings.
Democratic Alliance spokesperson James Selfe said the ANC caucus’s decision represents a sad day in the country’s democracy.
”The decision of the portfolio committee constituted an exciting new departure in the accountability and oversight by Parliament of the executive.
”Instead of encouraging this move, the ANC caucus seems determined to reassert Parliament’s role as a rubberstamp of the government,” he said.
Bloem, who said the caucus had informed him of its decision, declined to comment on the matter, referring all media inquiries on the issue to the caucus. — Sapa