Carlo Petersen
THE National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) decision to charge DA MP and former prosecutor Glynnis Breytenbach has led to her party and the ANC locking horns about disciplinary matters with regards to their members.
Breytenbach and her former lawyer are expected to appear in court today, allegedly for obstruction and defeating the ends of justice. The DA lashed the ANC for trying “to bend the courts to their undue political whims” after the NPA made a decision to prosecute Breytenbach for a matter related to a misconduct charge she faced in 2012.
At the time Breytenbach had been head of the NPA's specialised commercial crimes unit. Based on an ongoing investigation, the NPA’s priority crimes unit instituted criminal proceedings against Breytenbach and her former legal representative Gerhard Wagenaar on Friday.
NPA spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku said the accused had refused to hand over an official laptop computer and had shredded official documents.
Yesterday, the DA slated the ANC for not taking “swift action” against ANC members Bongi Mkongi, Truman Prince, Mohapi Mohapi and Mandla Mandela, who have all faced disciplinary procedures.
DA Federal Executive chairperson James Selfe said if the ANC was serious about Breytenbach “it must walk the talk”.
ANC spokesperson Keith Khosa responded to Selfe yesterday, saying the ANC had no influence over criminal matters. “Any matter that is criminal is dealt with by law enforcement agencies which have nothing to do with the ANC. What the ANC has said is that Breytenbach should be suspended pending her court matter,” Khosa said.
He said the ANC had never defended any one of its members who had broken the law.
Selfe said Breytenbach gave the DA a full account of the charges against her when she applied to be a candidate for the DA in 2014.