Deputy President Paul Mashatile side-stepped questions when asked about the incident involving the assault of motorists by his bodyguards on the N1, on the grounds that the matter was still before court.
Mashatile said when the court was done with its work, he was willing to answer questions from the MPs.
He was responding to oral questions in the National Council of Provinces when DA MP George Michalakis asked whether he was in the convoy.
Mashatile quoted verbatim the response given by Police Minister Bheki Cele to the police portfolio committee in August that he was in the convoy but not in the crime scene when two of his cars pulled off to deal with the matter.
“I want to confirm that, indeed, it is true that I was not there because the cars that carry the president and the deputy do not stop for anything even at the red robots.
“It would have been strange if my car would have stopped there and I was busy watching what is happening,” he said.
“When I became aware of this incident, I was at home.
“Members can be assured that I was not there at the scene,” Mashatile said.
He then cited the matter being sub judice as an impediment to engage when subsequent questions were asked.
When Michalakis asked what he was afraid of when seven cars of storm-troopers kept him safe, ANC MP Mandla Rayi raised the sub judice rule.
Michalakis argued that he was not discussing the merits of the case. He then rephrased his questions to ask what Mashatile did when he became aware of the incident to ensure action was taken.
In response, Mashatile said the matters were being raised in court.
“The member is not listening. He wanted to know where I was and now goes back to the scene when the car was there. These are matters that are in court,” he said.
Mashatile again refused to answer when ANC MP Shahidabibi Shaikh asked whether the government, especially the SAPS, has programmes geared towards sensitising the Presidential Protection Services members on rights of citizens and better interacting with them when ensuring the safety of their political principals.
“All these matters are coming up in court. Let’s leave this matter,” he said, before warning the questions were straddling on a very thin line of what the court was doing.
“Members are not listening. Asseblief tog (please), I wanted to say this matter is dealt with in court,” he said at one point.
Earlier, Mashatile pleaded with MPs to respect the findings of the law enforcement agencies and Chapter 9 Institutions.
EFF MP Mmabatho Mokause had asked whether the Phala Phala scandal and the refusal by Parliament to hold President Cyril Ramaphosa accountable tainted the perception of the public regarding the country’s commitment to fight crime and hold those in power accountable.
The deputy president reiterated the response he gave in the National Assembly in March that Parliament had not refused to respond to the specific allegations.
“Parliament embarked on a process which was concluded in line with the rules of Parliament. There are people who think the matter must go and on.
“It may well be their right that some members of this House don’t agree with the determination of Parliament. Such reservation or unhappiness can and should be dealt within the rules of Parliament.
“This government and our President Cyril Ramaphosa have committed to be subjected to all processes by our constitution and laws of the country.”
He called for the findings of the public protector, SARS and SARB on Phala Phala to be respected.
“They did this with integrity. They were transparent,” Mashatile said.
Cape Times