Glynnis Breytenbach Says There’s No Excuse for Andrea Johnson Misleading Parliament, SA Weighs In
- The Democratic Alliance's Glynnis Breytenbach weighed in on Andrea Johnson's admission before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry
- The former Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) head admitted that parts of her Parliamentary testimony were incorrect
- South Africans weighed in on Breytenbach's response to Johnson's admission, sharing varied reactions to it
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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 – The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Glynnis Breytenbach has responded sharply to Advocate Andrea Johnson's admission that portions of her sworn testimony before Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee were inaccurate.
During her testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, the former Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) head said that the discrepancies were down to a lack of preparation and misremembering. Johnson recently requested to vacate her post as IDAC head, a request that President Cyril Ramaphosa accepted.
DA Member of Parliament, Breytenbach, did not mince her words when addressing the matter, making clear that the position Johnson held made the situation far graver than an ordinary error of recollection.
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No excuse for misleading Parliament
Speaking about Johnson’s admission, Breytenbach said there could be no excuse for what the IDAC head did.
"There can be no excuse. Once you give evidence under oath, clearly, you're expected to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. More particularly when you're the head of or the investigating director of a body like IDAC," Breytenbach stated.
She added that the purpose behind the committee's establishment was widely understood, which made Johnson's conduct all the more troubling.
"To have witnesses who hold that kind of position and come to Parliament and mislead Parliament with evidence that is not correct, that's not only very disappointing, but it’s also extremely serious, and it probably will have serious consequences," Breytenbach said.
South Africans react to Breytenbach’s response
The admission and Breytenbach’s reaction drew strong responses on social media.
Ray Booth wrote:
"It's not misleading. It's lying."
Pauline Thomson added:
"Lying is never to be excused. In her case, it is definitely a punishable offence. A person of her stature and education should avoid lying at all costs."
Rina Cross questioned the committee's value altogether:
"The Ad Hoc Committee was a waste of time and money. The MPs from certain parties were biased toward certain people who appeared, before the Madlanga Commission started, where the truth prevailed and exposed them."
Bungcwalisa Dromedaries Thengo Thengo wrote:
"That Ad Hoc Committee is useless and toothless. They cleared every criminal that testified before them."
Michael Phadi directed criticism at Breytenbach herself:
"Shame on Glynnis. The DA chose not to believe Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi. She was even excited when IDAC was speaking ill about the PKTT, General Khumalo, Masemola and Mkhwanazi."
King Sharīf Jeremiah offered a different perspective:
"But Parliament said everyone was not guilty. Now Madlanga is doing the real job, and Parliament wants to cover its back."
ActionSA calls for perjury findings against Johnson
Briefly News highlighted facts about ActionSA's call for Johnson to face perjury charges following her testimony before the Ad Hoc Committee.
Member of Parliament Dereleen James noted that Johnson made contradictory statements in her testimony before the Committee.
As the Committee works towards finalising its report, the implications of Johnson's contradictory statements have sparked a fierce debate about accountability.
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Source: Briefly News
