Former SAA chairperson Dudu Myeni says her rights have been violated all her life, and she is being treated like a criminal for not appearing before Parliament's portfolio committee on public accounts, to account for her alleged role in state capture.
The Gupta brothers and Myeni were scheduled to appear to answer questions about their alleged roles in state capture on Tuesday, along with home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba. Gigaba has reportedly indicated that he will appear before the committee on Tuesday.
But on Monday, Myeni wrote to the committee saying she could not appear because she is booked off sick, while the Guptas said they could not appear as they were out of the country, according to eNCA. This is reportedly the second time in a week that she has failed to appear before the inquiry. Last week she said she could not fly to Cape Town due to health problems.
They could be formally summoned to appear before Parliament's portfolio committee on public accounts, currently investigating state capture at state-owned enterprises, Business Day reported. Ignoring the summons would reportedly be a criminal offence.
On Tuesday morning, eNCA reporter Annika Larsen tweeted extracts of a letter to the committee by Myeni, in which she said her dignity is being violated, and that the committee is not sympathetic to her illness.
According to the Mail & Guardian, the committee is due to complete its work on Tuesday, whereafter it will submit a report to Parliament. Last week, committee members reportedly agreed that the committee should finish its work before the end of the month, but were concerned about the possibility that the Guptas would not appear.
According to Business Day, DA MP Natasha Mazzone said they had shown "unacceptable disregard" for Parliament.
"The Guptas have apparently flown the coop and are not in SA. Myeni claims she is still sick — we have yet to see the original doctor's note.
"This is a flagrant abuse of the committee's politeness and an unacceptable disregard for Parliament and the Constitution, under which this inquiry has been established, and cannot be allowed to continue," she reportedly said.
The DA would ask that the Guptas and Myeni be formally summoned on Tuesday, and ignoring the summons could mean a fine or imprisonment for up to a year, she said.
"Those who attempted what is now known to be one of the greatest heists of all time must know this: there is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. No one is above the law," she said.
Last week, despite her being too ill to appear before the committee, Myeni was spotted by City Press at the four-star Garden Court hotel in Hatfield at about 10.30pm. She was reportedly seated opposite a man at a restaurant sipping what appeared to be wine. Staff said she had been at the hotel for two days.