Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises on Friday rebuffed a demand from Black First Land First (BLF) to stop its inquiry into Eskom, which the group termed a witchhunt against the Gupta family.

Committee chairperson Zukiswa Rantho asked MPs how she should respond to the missive, which threatened legal action should the committee not cease the probe by lunchtime on Thursday.

“I really don’t know why we are entertaining the Gupta militia,” said Economic Freedom Fighters chief whip Floyd Shivambu.

He proposed that the committee send a one-line response stating that it would continue with its work, adding that “no rational court in the country” would entertain an application to stop the committee performing its work.

Other MPs agreed and Rantho said it was clear that the letter was an attempt to intimidate the committee.

“It is intended to make us not work, not go forward,” she said.

Shivambu alleged that the BLF was funded by the Gupta family to disrupt attempts to investigate and stop corruption.