Africa-Press – South-Africa. EFF leader Julius Malema has praised the head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac), Andrea Johnson, for her bravery in parliament.
Johnson faced tough questions from MPs about her husband’s possible influence on her work. Her husband works for crime intelligence under the leadership of crime intelligence boss Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo, who was arrested by Idac in June.
During her testimony before parliament’s ad hoc committee probing allegations of corruption in the criminal justice system, Johnson said she and her husband don’t discuss anything work-related.
“I hold my oath of office and integrity importantly,” she said.
”When I was due to take up the position as head of Idac, it became a reality that at the time there were matters being investigated by Idac into criminal and corruption allegations in the South African Police Service.”
This sparked mixed reactions from MPs. Malema expressed support for Johnson, commending her bravery amid criticism.“The issue of your husband should never put you in a difficult situation where you start doubting your capabilities,” Malema said.
“This is quality leadership coming from a black woman.
“You answer questions properly and give us information that is well articulated. There will be more challenges. They come inherently with being a female leader. We all have issues we might not have handled properly. It’s part of growth and dealing with matters differently as you go forward. When you leave here, this should never be one of the issues that distract you from fighting crime and corruption.“You came here, and in hindsight, it says I’m clever now. You should take it in that spirit and continue to fight. I thought Winnie [Madikizela-] Mandela died, but she has multiplied.”
Malema said he understands Johnson’s predicament, saying she and her husband may discuss light matters but may not go into detail about internal cases.
“I understand that as a married man myself. We never discuss the details of the EFF with my wife. We discuss the EFF but not who’s going to which position, who took which file and all of that. We don’t go to that extent.”
In response, Johnson said, “You are correct. We discuss generalised law enforcement issues but not the specifics of crime intelligence. Thank you for providing that clarity.”
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