The Moerane Commission report tabled before a closed sitting

Once legislature has processed the report, they will give their view

The KwaZulu-Natal Legislature has said that it tabled the highly anticipated Moerane Commission report into political killings before a closed session on Friday due to “serious allegations implicating a number of people”.

The report was tabled before the portfolio committees of the premier and the royal household and community safety and liaison.

Chairperson of the community safety and liaison portfolio committee, Bheki Ntuli, chaired the closed meeting.

“While the KZN Legislature understands an enormous public interest in the content of the report, the meeting had to be a closed one because there are serious allegations implicating a number of people who may face prosecution but have not yet had an opportunity to respond to these allegations,” said spokesperson for the legislature, Wonder Hlongwa.

“On the basis of legal advice, both committees agreed to have the report tabled in a closed meeting so as to not jeopardise any legal process that may ensue following the report,” said Hlongwa.

He said that once both committees had made their input, the report would be sent back to the premier, who would “consider these inputs and thereafter release the report to the public”.

“The KZN Legislature adheres to the transparency provision in the Constitution but would not be reckless and fuel an already inflammatory situation by making public contents of the report which could lead to acts of retribution and legal action taken against the institution,” said Hlongwa.

The Moerane Commission was established by provincial Premier Willies Mchunu late in 2016 and was tasked with investigating the underlying causes of political violence in the province since 2011, which is believed to have led to the murders of over 100 people to date.

It heard testimony from more than 60 witnesses and ran for a year.

The findings were handed to the premier in June, amid speculation that the report would not be made public because of damning allegations against politicians.

Spokesperson for premier Mchunu, Thami Ngidi told the African News Agency that the premier was “obliged to release the report”.

“Once legislature has processed the report, they will give their view and send it back to the premier. He must also take into consideration their input, and then release the report,” said Ngidi.

Asked about concerns expressed by several witnesses who testified before the commission that the report would be “sanitised” if it was made public at all, Ngidi said there was only one version of the report and this would be released to the public.

Several of the witnesses who testified before the commission have also been denied access to their own transcripts from their testimonies.

“There is no intention to water down the report.

“I think the commissioners themselves would not be happy if that happened,” he said.