Parliament acted after hearing state capture rumours: Mbete
Updated May 19, 2021, 8:49 a.m. | By Newswatch
Former National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete has defended the 5th Parliament's alleged lack of action when allegations of state capture emerged.
She appeared before the State Capture Commission on Tuesday.
The evidence leader asked her why not a single portfolio committee adhered to initial requests to look into claims of corruption within government.
Mbete says at that time, there was no concrete information.
"In March 2016, MP's were very busy. It can not be argued that they were sitting around, they had all the time and consciousness and the awareness and the understanding of everything what was going on and they didn't do anything about it.
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"Suddenly we were hearing noises. They were reading and seeing that there are disturbing reports about things that were happening about which we were hearing rumours."
She says MPs later started receiving reports directly on the allegations.
"Yes some of those matters started receiving attention portfolio committee by portfolio committee, a few portfolios.
"But what I'm correcting Chairperson is a tone that seeks to suggest that when MP's had all the knowledge and they had all the power given by legislation and the constitution, they didn't do anything when they understood. Probably they did not understand as much as we do now."