DA rejects President Ramaphosa’s attempt to censor SIU Covid corruption report

17 September 2020

The Democratic Alliance (DA) rejects the attempt by President Cyril Ramaphosa to censor the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU) report into Covid corruption.

The SIU has reportedly confirmed that the President will himself decide which part of this report will be made public.

We see this move by the President for what it is – a blatant attempt to hide the true extent of how the ANC looted Covid relief funding meant to keep South Africans safe and healthy during this global pandemic.

The DA calls for full transparency and that this report be made public in its entirety.

South Africans made massive sacrifices during this pandemic and to this day many have experienced immeasurable suffering. Not only due to the Coronavirus, but also due to the corruption in Covid procurement which resulted in poor quality personal protective equipment, a lack of adequate medical resources, stolen and delayed food parcels and long-overdue UIF Ters payments.

President Ramaphosa, therefore, has no right to try and hide the corruption which happened under his watch, and in some cases even under his very nose.

The President is again proving how weak he is in tackling ANC corruption, as he is already making excuses to not expose his party fully.

The DA will not stand for the President’s two sets of standards. South Africans deserve to know the truth. The whole truth.

Issued by John Steenhuisen, Leader of the Democratic Alliance, 17 September 2020