Note to Editors: Click here for soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Dr Roy Jankielsohn MPL, Leader of the Official Opposition in the Free State Legislature.
Former politicians in the Free State continue to milk the provincial government to pay for their legal fees that should not be necessary if they have nothing to hide.
As the Zondo Commission hears of massive abuse of Free State Provincial Government funds, so too are such funds being used to pay massive legal fees for former politicians who are appearing before the commission.
In reply to a question from the DA in the Free State Legislature, Premier Sefora Ntombela indicated that the Head of Department of Treasury in the province authorised the payment of R280,297.64 (two hundred and eighty thousand, two hundred and ninety seven rand and sixty four cents) to a legal firm Boqwana Burns in support of former MEC for Finance, Elzabe Rockman’s, attendance at the Zondo Commission. The costs were calculated at R2,800 per hour and R1,800 per hour for travelling. This amounts to more than 100 hours, or in an eight hour day almost 13 days of full time work by the law firm.
The firm did not physically represent Rockman at the Commission since she had to answer questions and give testimony on her own. It is unclear how 100 hours of legal work was required for Rockman to answer simple questions about her role as former MEC for finance in the Gupta-linked Vrede Dairy Project enquiry. The DA regards this expenditure as unnecessary and excessive given that the whole enquiry is screened live which would not require any lawyers to be at the hearing in which Rockman was merely requested to answer questions.
Besides assistance from the Zondo legal team in fine tuning my affidavit, I did not incur any additional legal costs before, during or after my own testimony on this issue at the Zondo Commission in 2019. During my hearings there were also a number of lawyers representing other former politicians such as the former MEC for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mamiki Qabathe.
This expenditure on former politicians in the Free State itself requires further interrogation. These provincial government funds could have been used to deliver basic services such as water to the residents of Vrede.
While the Zondo Commission itself has cost about R700 million thus far, the final cost to taxpayers that includes legal fees of witnesses still has to be calculated.
The DA has submitted follow up questions to determine which other politicians incurred legal costs at the expense of the people of the Free State and what these costs are.