DA will hold Zuma to account for state-funded ANC rallies

Reports revealed several weeks ago that President Jacob Zuma is to launch more than 50 "announcement-ready" infrastructure projects between now and February 2014 in an effort to create the image of a delivering ANC ahead of the national elections. 

While there is nothing wrong with the President assisting his cabinet ministers to launch state-pioneered projects, there is a huge problem when the ANC deliberately conflates party and state and uses government platforms for party electioneering work.

Yesterday, during the launch of the Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone - a state-funded function - the ANC bussed in supporters and handed out party t-shirts to attendees as though it was a political rally. The Premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille, was heckled while delivering her address by disruptive ANC supporters while President Zuma idly watched the events unfold. This was a serious case of abuse of state funding to make the event a party political rally at taxpayers' expense.

It is obvious that this is the kind of behaviour that we can expect from the other government initiatives which have been earmarked for launch between now and the 2014 general elections. Democratic Alliance (DA) MPs will be submitting questions to every single government department involved in this ‘ANC campaign' to ascertain all the details related to the planning, attendance and financing of these events.

We will monitor each and every launch which takes place around the country to ensure that this dangerous conflation of party and state by the ANC does not continue. If we detect further evidence of ANC campaigning using state resources, we will forward a complaint to the Public Protector.

With the ANC experiencing a steady decline in support ahead of the 2014 elections, it is clear that the governing party is now willing to abuse state resources to support its electioneering, and there is likely to be an increase in this kind of abuse. 

The DA will monitor the situation and do everything it can in Parliament to prevent this from happening and to expose this kind of corruption wherever it happens. 

Statement issued by Lindiwe Mazibuko MP, DA Parliamentary Leader, November 1 2013

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