Allegations of R20m farewell for Ace Magashule should be investigated - Pravin Gordhan
29 March 2018
Public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan has spoken out about the misuse of public funds for a farewell event for outgoing Free State premier and ANC secretary general Ace Magashule.
Addressing attendees at an event held to commemorate the anniversary of struggle stalwart and Rivonia trialist Ahmed Kathrada's death, Gordhan expressed his disapproval.
"Tomorrow there will be a R20m party. That is public funds that are going to be used to celebrate the departure of the ANC secretary general from the Free State. There is still this new morality, principle and values that we speak of, of the Kathy (in reference to Kathrada) generation. It has to be brought back alive again by the younger generation."
News24 reported that Magashule was expected to have a lavish farewell at the Free State rugby stadium and there were claims that more than R20m from the state coffers had been used for the event.
The Free State government had instructed all government officials to abandon their posts on Wednesday to bid farewell to Magashule and welcome the new premier, Sisi Ntombela.
Reacting to the report, Gordhan told News24 that allegations of the use of public funds at Magashule's farewell must be investigated by law enforcement.
"I don't think that is the way public money should be spent by a former premier. All these allegations that are out there, they must go to the law enforcement agencies. They must investigate them and do that which is necessary, instead of posing fake charges to a whole lot of people."
He added that while the ANC was on the mend, there was a huge fight-back from some who wanted to see the party fail.
