“No Pizza, No Privileges”: MK MP Nomvalo Slams ‘Spoiled Brat’ Witness Demands in Parliament Probe

Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party MP Sibonelo Nomvalo has taken aim at witnesses who have failed to appear before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations of misconduct and infiltration of the criminal justice system, saying their demands are increasingly unreasonable and must be backed by credible evidence.

Nomvalo said anyone claiming security concerns must provide formal proof, including police reports, to substantiate their inability to testify in person.

His remarks follow earlier reports by IOL that National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza had expressed “disinclination” to approve the committee’s request for Parliament to subpoena forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan and North West businessman Brown Mogotsi.

The committee, chaired by Molapi Soviet Lekganyane, has been pushing for subpoenas to compel both men to appear in Cape Town and give evidence.

Speaking to SABC News, Nomvalo criticised what he described as excessive and unsupported demands from witnesses.

“Brown Mogotsi must have produced a report from the police which confirms that there are security threats against him. Like I am saying, you don’t just behave like a spoiled brat because one day you are going to tell us that you want pizza, you want bacon, you want eggs, you want Parliament to buy gifts for your girlfriend for Valentine’s Day,” Nomvalo said.

He stressed that only official confirmation from law enforcement could justify such requests.

“There must be a report from the police who are trained, who confirm that indeed there are security threats against you. What we are saying here is that the Speaker is failing to assist the committee to use instruments that are at the disposal of Parliament in this context. Section 56 of the Constitution gives powers to Parliament or any committee of Parliament to summon any person to come and appear before Parliament, to adduce evidence or any information that is relevant at that particular time,” he said.

The standoff has also drawn in O’Sullivan, who has come under fire from Nomvalo and the MK Party after refusing to return to South Africa to testify in person.

On Tuesday, IOL reported that O’Sullivan hit back at the MK Party and Nomvalo after the lawmaker insisted that he must come back to the country to appear before Parliament.

Last month, O’Sullivan told IOL that he was willing to testify before the committee, but only virtually. Speaking from London at the time, he rejected claims that he had left South Africa to avoid testifying, despite the committee’s insistence that he appear physically in Cape Town.

Nomvalo dismissed O’Sullivan’s stance, accusing him of behaving “like a spoiled brat”.

He went further, claiming that O’Sullivan had previously shown disrespect for Parliament and had allegedly threatened MPs and witnesses who had appeared before the committee.

“An indication was shown a long time ago by Paul O’Sullivan, who has been threatening Members of Parliament and witnesses who appeared before the committee, that he has no interest and he does not have any regard or respect for Parliament,” Nomvalo said.

He added that decisive action should already have been taken.

“An action was supposed to be taken soon after the decision was taken by the Ad Hoc Committee that the legal team must subpoena Paul O’Sullivan, because he behaves like somebody who is supreme, he behaves like a spoiled brat, he thinks he is dealing with his friends here. He doesn’t realise that he is now in a different environment which involves the MK party.

“He is not dealing with his friends which he used to control in the previous years,” Nomvalo said

DAILY NEWS