ANC Chief Whip Says Parliament Sees No Reason to Grant Sarah-Jane Trent’s Request to Scrap Testimony
- Chief Whip of the African National Congress (ANC), Mdumiseni Ntuli, discussed a request made by Sarah-Jane Trent
- Trent, a former associate of forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan, appeared before Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee in March 2026
- Ntuli discussed whether Parliament had any reason to scrap Trent's testimony on the basis that she suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Source: UGC
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
WESTERN CAPE – There is no basis for Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee to review the request made by Sarah-Jane Trent.
That’s according to the Parliamentary Chief Whip of the African National Congress (ANC), Mdumiseni Ntuli, in response to Trent’s application to have her Ad Hoc Committee testimony declared invalid.
A former associate of Paul O’Sullivan, Trent appeared before the Committee on 5 March 2026, testifying about claims that she and her former boss captured the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).
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While her testimony contained a lot of talking points when it came to her evidence, it also contained a lot of tears as Trent broke down a few times. She explained that this was because she was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Ntuli discusses Trent’s request to have the testimony scrapped
During an interview with SABC News on 31 March 2026, Ntuli discussed Trent’s request to have her testimony declared invalid. Trent made the request, saying that due to her PTSD, she was unable to concentrate properly and therefore did not respond to questions posed to her adequately.
But Ntuli said it was the view of the committee that there was no basis for them to review the request.
“You may very well recall that when she appeared before the Committee, some of my colleagues kept on asking her if she was comfortable proceeding with the engagement,” he noted.
He said that some Members of Parliament (MPs) even suggested that perhaps proceedings should be postponed for a day because of Trent’s emotional appearance, but she was adamant that proceedings continue.
Ntuli says there’s no document to support PTSD claims
The ANC’s Chief Whip added that the Committee held a virtual meeting to discuss Trent’s request, among other things, and was not convinced that they had an obligation to set aside the evidence she presented.
He explained that there was no submission of any document to support her PTSD claim, and they were only going on what she and her lawyers said.
He added that unless a competent authority, like a court of law, ruled that there was a basis for them to declare she was not fit and proper to testify, then there was no reason to consider her request.
“At the moment, really, we can’t just take the word from her legal team without even any supporting documents to that effect,” he added.
Vusi Shongwe grills Trent over Duduzile Sabudla Zuma
Briefly News reported that the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party's Vusi Shongwe questioned Sarah-Jane Trent about what he deemed to be unfairness.
The MK Party Member of Parliament noted the legal inconsistencies between the Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla and Andile Ramaphosa cases.
Social media users weighed in on Trent's defence of her actions and Shongwe's questions, sharing mixed reactions.
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Source: Briefly News
