Mbalula 'schooled' for claiming Zondo commission establishment was after a decision by the ANC
Image: Fikile Mbalula/Twitter
Hundreds of Twitter users educated transport minister Fikile Mbalula after he shared a misleading tweet claiming the establishment of the state capture inquiry was "a decision" made by the ANC.
The inquiry again took the spotlight on Monday as South Africans watched the cross-examination of public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan by former SA Revenue Service (Sars) boss Tom Moyane through his lawyer, Dali Mpofu.
Mbalula said the establishment of the inquiry is a decision in which every ANC member should take pride.
"To establish the Zondo commission is the decision of the ANC conference to deal with and investigate state capture. It is a decision every ANC member must be proud of," he tweeted.
This is not true.
The state capture inquiry was a recommendation made by former public protector Thuli Madonsela, who in 2016 investigated allegations about the looting of state funds and resources and the inappropriate relationship between former president Jacob Zuma and the corruption-accused Gupta family.
The former public protector's report recommended Zuma establish the commission, and that chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng appoint the presiding judge. The commission was established in 2018 after attempts by the former president to challenge it. It is chaired by deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo.
Some called out Mbalula for spreading "fake news", while others said the ruling party would never establish an inquiry to investigate allegations of misconduct against its members.
Mbalula has opted to keep the tweet despite it spreading false information.
Here are some of the responses:
It is not decision of the ANC but a recommendation by @ThuliMadonsela3 to establish the #StateCaptureInquiry, this is why you or the ANC are not sophisticated enough to run South Africa
— Khutšo 🇿🇦 (@00Khutso) November 30, 2020
Now you are lying! It was a recommendation by the public protector! Shes protecting us from the cancer that is the ANC!
— IG Sirboring🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦 (@sirboring_26) November 30, 2020
No, it was a recommendation by PP Madonsela and affirmed by the High Court. ANC absolutely had no choice!
— Vuyo Mbangi (@VUYO__MBANGI) November 30, 2020
You were forced by Public protector report to implement it, if we are to believe what are you telling...you would have not abandoned Scorpions years back. Bakhohlise abangazi
— sabelo (@Sabza200BC) November 30, 2020
To establish Zondo Commission is the administrative order of then PP Thuli Madonsela; ANC neither had the intellectual capacity nor the political will to come with a commission as big as this, even the Seriti Commission its President got dragged to establish it.
— JohnS (@JohnSekgobela1) November 30, 2020
Stop lying to us
Do not rewrite history Mbaks.
— Nkanyiso Ngqulunga (@Nkanyiso_ngqulu) November 30, 2020
@MbalulaFikile is not necessary to lie today please pic.twitter.com/a6zps9Hdz6
— Tendani Joel (@12536912) November 30, 2020
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