South Africa: Witness Threatens Legal Action Against Ad Hoc Committee, Claiming Personal Information Was Leaked

What the report says

South Africa’s parliamentary ad hoc committee probing allegations raised by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi said it has received a letter from witness Sarah-Jane Trent accusing the body of misconduct and threatening legal action. The committee noted the complaint during its sitting in Cape Town, where the letter was read out by committee secretary Vhonani Ramaano, according to a Parliament of South Africa press release distributed by AllAfrica.

In her letter, Trent says personal and medical information about her was shared without consent and appeared on social media and a website. She also argues that the disclosure could amount to criminal conduct and says she may pursue legal steps if Parliament does not investigate committee members and officials. Committee chair Molapi Soviet Lekganyane said the letter was addressed to Speaker Thoko Didiza, and members agreed to refer the matter onward rather than resolve it themselves.

Committee members defended the transparency of the hearings, noting that proceedings are publicly accessible through Parliament’s virtual platforms. The dispute adds a procedural and privacy issue to a politically sensitive inquiry that has already heard evidence related to alleged corruption and criminal infiltration in the police and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate. The committee said it would continue work on its draft report while the Speaker determines how to deal with Trent’s complaint.