This week the African National Congress said it was appointing an ad-hoc committee to draw up a “detailed factual report” on the arms deal.

Party secretary general Gwede Mantashe said the move was not to start the investigation afresh but to get a detailed formal report on the matter. We are yet to hear from Mantashe what the ANC will do after the report is finalised.

While I agree with the call to reopen the arms deal investigation, I don’t support the direction taken by the newly elected leadership of the ANC if their intention is to nail Mbeki in order to protect Jacob Zuma. I

f we are to have a credible probe into the arms deal we need an investigation that has legal status, if not, this exercise will be nothing but another witch hunt.

What must be noted further is that the report would not be made public. Ask yourself Why? Mathews Phosa, ANC treasurer general said, the ad hoc committee findings would help the NEC understand the arms deal on a much more informed basis.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) said the real reason for the committee is to find out to what extent senior ANC members could be implicated. Is this a witch hunt on the part of the newly elected ANC leadership to see Mbeki and his close associates in the dock?

There are those who say the new NEC wants something to pin on Mbeki so that when Zuma appears in court in August they can be able to point fingers at Mbeki-thus discredit the case agaist Zuma. DA says the ad hoc committee cannot draw up “a detailed factual report” unless the committee has legal status and is able to access official documents and subpoena witnesses.

“It would be highly irregular or even illegal for the committee to make use of state officials or any state resources in the course of the investigation without official status” DA said.

ANC president Jacob Zuma faces trial in August on charges related to alleged corruption in South Africa’s multibillion-rand arms deal. He is being charged alongside French arms company Thint.

With acknowledgements to Dominic Mahlangu and The Times.