‘Caretaker’ justice minister Didiza cannot recall TRC meetings 20 years ago - TimesLIVE

National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza has told the inquiry into Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) cases that she was merely a caretaker justice minister when key decisions around TRC inquiries were allegedly discussed, and had no authority to launch new departmental programmes.

Didiza, who served as acting justice minister for just more than five weeks in 2006, said her temporary role meant she was not fully familiar with matters in the portfolio and she could not independently recall meetings linked to the handling of TRC cases nearly 20 years ago.

She made the statements while appearing before the inquiry on Monday, where her evidence was led by advocate Nyoko Mvangwa.

Her testimony centred on two meetings allegedly linked to the handling of TRC-related cases, including one said to have taken place at the home of the late minister of social development, Zola Skweyiya.

Didiza said she could not independently remember the meeting and would need official records to establish what had happened almost 20 years ago.

“I just wish to state, counsel and through your chairperson that, given the timeline, 20 years later, I did request minutes because, in my view, at least that would have given me an understanding and an appreciation of what that meeting was about,” Didiza said.

However, she said she had not received the minutes.

Didiza questioned whether the gathering was even a formal government meeting. “If it was a meeting of government, obviously you would have expected that the chairperson of the cluster, who at the time was the minister of safety and security, would have been the one who convened the meeting,” she said.

“If I convene a meeting at somebody’s house, why would I do that, as opposed to the owner of the house?”

Didiza was appointed acting justice minister by then-president Thabo Mbeki while she was serving as public works minister after then-justice minister Brigitte Mabandla had fallen ill.

She said her acting period had run from September 5 to October 13 2006.

Didiza said that while an acting minister assumed responsibility for the office, they might not be familiar with all the matters within the portfolio. “It does happen at times, when you are an acting minister, that there may be issues because you are not the substantive minister of that portfolio, which you may not be au fait with.”

Didiza rejected any notion that an acting minister could initiate new programmes for a department. “No. It is not possible that you can do that because, as indicated, you are acting in that role.”

“So you’re just a caretaker,” asked Mvangwa.

“Basically, you are a caretaker until the substantive minister comes back to the portfolio,” Didiza replied.

The inquiry heard that advocate Vusi Pikoli had previously testified that Didiza was present at the meeting and had been “more passive in listening” because she was unfamiliar with the issues as acting justice minister.

Didiza said Pikoli did not recall her saying anything at the meeting.

A second meeting, allegedly involving the security cluster, was also put to Didiza.

Again, she said she could not remember it without documentation.

She was also asked about an alleged proposal to establish a task team.

“I wouldn’t recall,” she said, adding that even from the material before her, she was “not even sure what that task team was about”.

Didiza said that her acting status was important when considering what she could have known or done. “I think it is important to also indicate that indeed I was an acting minister, not a substantive minister of that portfolio.”