Court finds former minister Bathabile Dlamini guilty of perjury
Former social development minister Bathabile Dlamini has been found guilty of perjury for testimony she gave during an inquiry into her role in the 2017 social grants crisis.
Delivering her judgment in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court, Magistrate Betty Khumalo said Dlamini's argument that she might have unknowingly lied held no merit.
"The defence's argument that the state's use of the words 'meetings of the work streams' as compared to using rather the words 'meetings with the work streams' it is in this court's view that the defence is merely grasping the straws here and playing with semantics.
"I am therefore satisfied that the state has succeeded beyond a reasonable doubt to prove a case against the accused on the main count. The accused is accordingly found guilty as charged in respect of the charge of perjury."
Dlamini, who is the president of the ANC Women’s League, pleaded not guilty.
The case has been postponed to 1 April 2022 for sentencing proceedings.
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