Dudu Myeni ‘Mr X’ outing case postponed to May

Former South African Airways chair Dudu Myeni made her first appearance in the dock of the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, on charges of defeating the administration of justice.

In November 2020, Myeni revealed what she claimed was the identity of a protected witness – “Mr X” – live on camera, while testifying before the State Capture Commission of Inquiry.

And despite a warning from commision chair and now new Chief Justice Raymond Zondo not to repeat it, she did

Later that month, Zondo announced the commission was opening a criminal case against Myeni.

He said the commission wanted the police to investigate a possible contravention of either the commission’s regulations – which empower Zondo to direct a witness’s identity be protected, or the Commission’s Act – which makes anyone who “wilfully hinders or obstructs” the commission’s performance, guilty of an offence.

Now, 16 months later, Myeni has officially been charged with defeating the administration of justice, or alternatively either contravening the act or the regulations.

She was served with a summons to appear in court early this month and appeared briefly on Tuesday morning.

The case was postponed to May for the state to consider various representations made by Myeni’s legal team earlier this week.