SACP Free State welcomes the arrest of senior officials, administrators and businesspersons by the Hawks in the Free State and calls for more arrests on other scandalous projects
1 October 2020
The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Free State Province welcomes the confirmed arrest of former MEC, current and former senior departmental administrators and businesspersons yesterday, 30 September 2020, by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks). The arrested individuals are allegedly linked to the scandalous R225 million asbestos deal in the Free State.
The SACP in the Free State still believes that this scandalous asbestos deal – as is the case with several other deals – is a product of a well machinated daylight robbery orchestrated by a well connected patronage network. Any misuse of public resources, including through corruption, disadvantages communities, especially the poor working-class families who are robbed of much needed development and services. The SACP in the Free State maintains that those responsible for misappropriation of public resources by commission or omission must be held legally responsible and liable. In this regard, the SACP welcomes these latest arrests and urges the Hawks to work meticulously until successful finality of these matters.
The revelations at the State Capture Commission, which the SACP in Free State follows keenly, give a glimpse of the depth to which public resources were mishandled with impunity over the years. The reality is that there are several other scandalous deals such as the Estina Dairy deal, apple farm deal, housing and roads construction deals etc in the province that require immediate attention of the Hawks. The SACP in the province appreciates the effort of individuals who voluntarily appear before the Zondo Commission to provide information helpful to the purpose of the State Capture Commission, without being unnecessarily evasive.
The SACP in Free State finds the decision of the President to allow the use or disclosure of evidence provided at the commission to law enforcement agencies as plausible and progressive. The SACP urges the Hawks to follow this avenue and access all information related to all scandalous deals in the province and move speedily with concurrent investigation. The SACP in the Free State also supports all anti-corruption efforts aimed at decisively draining the swamp by successfully arresting and prosecuting those involved in any wrongdoing.
Issued by Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo, 1 October 2020
