Vusi Pikoli and Kate O’Regan at the Commission of Inquiry into Policing in Khayelitsha. Photo by Adam Armstrong.
27 January 2014
At the Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry, the morning got off to a rocky start for the SAPS legal counsel with Chairperson Justice Kate O’Regan again verbally reprimanding them.
Day 5, 27 January 2014.
A key witness for the Social Justice Coalition (SJC), Yolisa Dwane, is set to speak on Wednesday afternoon 29 January. Dwane’s statement was submitted in December 2013, but the SAPS only submitted a request to cross-examine her today – not the first time it has come with a late submission of cross-examination questions.
“I think your self-assessment of your progress so far is unduly glowing. It has been your client, again and again, who has not complied with the rules,” O’Regan reprimanded Adv. Arendse of the SAPS legal counsel.
About 45 minutes of the commission’s time this morning was spent following up on various pieces of evidence that are outstanding from the SAPS legal team. Adv. Masuku stated that he would put his head on the block to ensure that certain documents were submitted timeously.
Adv. Pikoli of the Commission expressed his frustration at frequent delays caused by the SAPS’s inability to provide requested documents. “Advocate Masuku, given all of your previous undertakings, do you still think you have a head to put on the block?” he asked.