Speaker, die Seriti-kommissie van ondersoek na die wapenskandaal het pas begin waar getuienis gelewer word oor die wapenaankope van die SA Nasionale Weermag, SANW. Die sukses van die ondersoek hang grootliks af van die getuienis wat gelewer word, en die publiek wil h dat getuies geloofwaardig moet wees.
Om hierdie rede is getuienisleiers aangestel vir die kommissie. Een van die getuienisleiers is adv S Lebala. Om geloofwaardigheid te verseker, word verwag dat getuienisleiers bo verdenking en eties onberispelik moet wees. Ongelukkig kan dit nie van adv Lebala ges word nie. In 'n hofsaak in die Noord-Gautengse Hooggeregshof waarin adv Lebala vir 'n respondent opgetree het, is bevind dat die respondent se prokureur meineed gepleeg het in 'n verklaring en het die hof gelas dat die prokureur deur die provinsiale tak van die Regsvereniging van Suid-Afrika ondersoek moet word.
In die hofsaak erken adv Lebala dat hy verantwoordelik was vir die opstel en die inhoud van die verklaring. In wese het adv Lebala dus meineed gepleeg. Dit is duidelik dat Lebala nie skroom om vals verklarings van getuies op te stel nie. Hy is nie geskik om as 'n getuienisleier vir die kommissie op te tree nie en moet dadelik verwyder word uit die kommissie.
Die VF Plus sal ook die Balieraad versoek en 'n klag indien om adv Lebala te ondersoek, want in die verlede is sulke regsverteenwoordigers geskrap van die rol. Hy behoort ook geskrap te word as 'n advokaat. Hy doen die kommissie 'n oneer aan. (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD (FF Plus): Speaker, the Seriti Commission of Inquiry into the arms deal has just commenced, where evidence will be given regarding the armaments procurement of the SA National Defence Force, SANDF. The success of this inquiry is largely dependent on the evidence that is given, and the public wants the witnesses to be credible.
For this reason evidence leaders have been appointed for the commission. One of these evidence leaders is Adv S Lebala. In order to ensure credibility, it is required that evidence leaders be above reproach and ethically faultless. Unfortunately this cannot be said of Adv S Lebala. In a court case in the Northern Gauteng High Court, in which Adv Lebala appeared for a respondent, it was found that the attorney of the respondent had committed perjury in terms of an affidavit and the court ordered an investigation into this attorney by the provincial branch of the Law Society of South Africa.
In the court case Adv Lebala admitted that he was responsible for the drafting and content of the affidavit. Adv Lebala therefore essentially committed perjury. It is clear that Lebala will not hesitate to draw up forged affidavits by witnesses. He is not fit to act as an evidence leader for the commission and should immediately be removed from the commission.
The FF Plus will also appeal to the Bar Council and lodge a complaint to have Adv Lebala investigated, because in the past such legal representatives have been struck off the roll. He should also be struck off as an advocate. He is a disgrace to the commission.]