Arms commission can continue says Zuma

Judge Francis Legodi resigned from the commission last week‚ citing a confidential personal reason. His is the latest in a spate of resignations that have characterised the commission since it was established by Zuma in October 2011.

The Presidency said that Zuma "remains confident" the commission would successfully complete its work probing allegations of fraud‚ corruption and impropriety related to the arms deal worth between R40bn and R70bn

The commission was set to begin public hearings on Monday (5 August) but these were postponed to 19 August after chairman Judge Willie Seriti granted a request by lawyers representing the Department of Defence to deal with the question of classified documents.

The question of whether the commission had a quorum following the resignation of Judge Legodi had also been raised by the Department of Defence but Seriti said this decision was Zuma's to make.

Resignation

Legodi's last minute resignation was only the latest to shake the commission. Judge Seriti's co-commissioner‚ Free State Judge President Hendrick Musi‚ was appointed following the resignation of Judge Willem van der Merwe in 2011.

Senior investigator Norman Moabi resigned in January and law researcher Kate Painting in March. It emerged last weekend that one of the evidence leaders‚ Tayob Aboobaker‚ had retracted his resignation letter.

There have been allegations that the commission may be compromised by political interference and that Seriti was conducting proceedings with an iron fist.

Arms deal activist Terry Crawford-Browne‚ who brought a Constitutional Court action that precipitated the commission‚ said it was doubtful any self-respecting Judge would accept a position in the commission given the events that have characterised it to date‚ such as the numerous resignations.

Officials from the Department of Defence were scheduled to begin testifying on Tuesday (6 August). A list of witnesses released in August includes numerous political heavyweights in government at the time of the arms deal.

The likes of former president Thabo Mbeki‚ Minister in the Presidency Trevor Manuel and former ministers Ronnie Kasrils‚ Mosiuoa Lekota and Alec Erwin are included on the list.

The commission timetable shows 37 days have been set aside for presentations by officials in the defence force and 26 days for Department of Trade and Industry officials.