Peters aims to cross-examine her accusers
Former transport minister Dipuo Peters is concerned the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture may be running out of time and she may not get a chance to cross-examine people who have implicated her.
This was revealed by attorney Zola Majavu before Peters could take the stand.
Deputy chief justice and commission chairman Raymond Zondo earlier this year applied to the High Court in Johannesburg for the commission to be extended until the end of June.
Peters has been implicated by, among others, former Passenger Rail Agency of SA chair Popo Molefe and SA Express divisional manager for security management Timothy Ngwenya.
In his testimony last year, Molefe implicated Peters in wrongdoing, saying he found out on the day his board was expected to appear before the portfolio committee in parliament that it had been dissolved. He said the decision was taken because the board had persisted with an independent investigation by Werksmans Attorneys into irregularities at the agency.
He said Peters believed the firm had been appointed without following proper procedures.
Ngwenya also said Peters was one of the beneficiaries of a R51 million payment from a North West company that was flagged by a whistleblower.
Peters said she was never involved in the award of tenders or influenced, directly or indirectly, any decisions aimed at benefitting certain individuals or entities
She told the commission she had never protected or sought to protect anyone accused of wrongdoing from the rule of law, or any other applicable processes.