EFF statement on ANC Parliamentary Caucus decision to reject establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee to investigate Covid-19 procurement corruption
22 August 2020
The EFF is outraged and shocked by the decision of the ANC Parliamentary Caucus to reject tabling of a draft resolution to establish an Ad Hoc Committee to hold an inquiry into alleged corruption committed in the COVID-19 procurement of PPEs, food parcels and other COVID-19 related expenses. The decision by the ANC Parliamentary Caucus to object to the tabling of the draft resolution is an attempt to protect those involved in corruption and abuse of majority status to render Parliament useless.
The EFF wrote to the Speaker in terms of Rule 124 (1) of the 9th edition of the National Assembly Rules on 30 July to submit a draft resolution for the National Assembly to resolve on the establishment of Ad Hoc Committee to hold an inquiry into alleged COVID-19 related corruption and the Speaker approved the draft resolution. Millions of rands were stolen by companies linked with politicians in the ruling party. As a result, measures by the government to respond to COVID-19 were seriously compromised. Health workers are left to die in hospitals because they do not have suitable PPEs.
By rejecting a proactive mechanism to hold government accountable on COVID-19 corruption, the ANC Parliamentary Caucus is promoting corruption and protecting those who should be held accountable.
South Africa faces the crisis that threatens the lives of millions because the problem of limited resources was made worse by corruption. Parliament was chastised by the Constitutional Court for failing to act on the reports of state capture. When opposition parties raised the matter of state capture, the ruling party decided to defend those involved in state capture until it was too late.
Since the arrival of the EFF in Parliament since 2014, we have made Parliament vibrant and restore biting teeth to hold the executive and private sector accountable without fear and favour. The decision by the ruling party caucus to object to the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee is taking Parliament back to the days of defending corruption instead of representing the interest of broader society. The whole of society must know that the ruling party under the leadership of Mr Cyril Ramaphosa is turning Parliament into another useless arm of the state. As the EFF, we will continue to fight for the independence and rigour of Parliament and its work to ensure that we expose corruption and hold the executive and private sector to account without fear.
The EFF will table the draft resolution for the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee to hold an inquiry into COVID-19 corruption-related cases to expose the corruption of the ANC, and we want the ANC to vote against the draft resolution. The COVID-19 corruption is murderous, and the ANC parliamentary caucus is complicit in the murder of our people.
The EFF will do everything in its power, including approaching the Courts to force Parliament to establish the ad hoc committee to hold the executive accountable.
Issued by Vuyani Pambo, National Spokesperson, 22 August 2020
