CAPE TOWN — National Assembly Speaker Frene Ginwala on Wednesday appealed to individuals claiming to have evidence of irregularities in the R43-billion arms deal to hand over the information to authorities. 

Addressing the media in Cape Town, she said that people making allegations, particularly Members of Parliament, had a duty to pass on the information. 

In an apparent reference to a Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) claim of wrongdoing by senior African National Congress members, she said continued unsubstantiated allegations would simply result in the public eventually not believing the truth in cases of genuine corruption.  

One had to be careful when making allegations which could lead to assumptions of guilt. "People have to be proved guilty; they don't need to prove their innocence," she said.  

The PAC on Tuesday decided not to the name ANC officials apparently implicated in irregularities surrounding the arms deal. However, it said that before the end of this week "some very senior members of this government will fall".  

PAC secretary-general Thami ka Plaatjie said the party would pass the names to selected media organisations and independent investigators for in-depth investigation and to confirm the allegations.  

At the party's weekend conference, PAC MP Patricia de Lille indicated that the name of a senior ANC MP linked to the deal would be made public soon. She said the nation "would be shocked" when the PAC made the announcement.  

The ANC and its Youth League (ANCYL) on Wednesday condemned the PAC comments. "The latest statement by the PAC is nothing but an irresponsible ranting of a frustrated party, clutching at straws to reverse its ongoing slide into political oblivion," the ANC said. "The arms deal probe is the only olive branch left to sustain the political life of the PAC." It dismissed the allegations as "a pack of lies". The ANCYL called on the investigating agencies to immediately subpoena De Lille and "her cronies in the PAC".  

According to a report in The Star newspaper, National Treasury director-general Maria Ramos on Tuesday linked the PAC's "unsubstantiated rumours" to a fall in the value of the rand. She said a rumour had started in world financial markets about the names to be released following the PAC announcement. The currency fell from R8,02 to R8,16 on Tuesday, before recovering marginally to about R8,14 to the US dollar. Ramos said the PAC remarks were playing into the hands of currency speculators. 

De Lille said the PAC would make a statement in response to Ramos' comments later on Wednesday. 

With acknowledgment to INet Bridge and Business Day.