By Dylan Bettencourt
- Cedric Nkabinde told Members of Parliament the dates in his sworn affidavit were “thumb sucked”.
- Members of Parliament said the affidavit was misleading, with the EFF saying they will open a perjury case after contradictions in his timeline and confusion over key meetings.
Senzo Mchunu’s chief of staff Cedric Nkabinde was sent home from Parliament on Thursday after telling MPs the dates in his sworn affidavit were “thumb sucked”.
He said he could not check the dates because he did not have his phone or laptop with him.
MPs were shocked. They said the whole affidavit could now be unreliable. Several MPs said they could not continue because the statement could mislead Parliament. One MP said the “whole statement is misleading” and they “can’t rely on a misleading statement” at all.
EFF leader Julius Malema said Nkabinde was lying under oath. He said the EFF would open a perjury case. He also said some of the dates Nkabinde claimed to be unsure about were already public, including Minister Mchunu’s visit to the mine in November and his visit to Lusikisiki in September.
Nkabinde’s timeline also clashed with earlier testimony. MPs asked him to explain when he arranged the meeting between Mchunu and businessman Brown Mogotsi. His answers did not match statements made by General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who had earlier told Parliament he received a call about that meeting.
Nkabinde admitted the dates in his affidavit were estimated. He said the evidence leader had asked him to give approximate dates because he did not have his devices. MPs rejected this, saying he did not need gadgets to know basic information.
MPs also questioned him about his close relationship with Mkhwanazi. He confirmed that Mkhwanazi is his “best friend”.
The committee ruled that they could not continue with Nkabinde’s evidence. He was told to fix his affidavit and return on another day.
Pictured above: Cedric Nkabinde.
Image source: @joy_zelda
