DA to interrogate Deputy President Mabuza on status of Covid corruption investigations in Parliament this week
16 August 2020
Please click here for a soundbite by Siviwe Gwarube MP.
Last night, President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation about the decision to move to Level 2 lockdown restrictions and the extension of the State of Disaster.
He said not a single word about the the rampant corruption which has seen billions of rands channeled to politically connected individuals; politicians and their families while South Africa has been dealing with a global health crisis.
More importantly, the President gave no status update on the investigations which are meant to be ongoing as per his commitment to root out corruption.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will now submit an urgent oral question to the Deputy President, David Mabuza, who will be in Parliament this week answering questions, via the Speaker of the National Assembly, in accordance to the rules of Parliament.
Deputy President Mabuza must give an update on the Covid corruption investigations and who has been referred to the law enforcement agencies for arrest.
South Africa knows this movie. We have been down this path numerous times. Politicians steal public money and the investigations are stalled for years in the hopes that the public will forget. We cannot allow the theft of public money to go without any real consequences.
Since the announcement was made about the Special Investigation Unit probing allegations of corruption in the provinces relating to PPE and other related material, no update has been given and no politician has been sent to jail or fired.
Instead, people have been placed on special, fully paid, leave of absence while the President evades the elephant in the room.
To add insult to injury, a group of ANC ministers have been appointed to investigate ANC corruption carried out by ANC politicians, a job that should be reserved for the criminal justice system and law enforcement agencies.
With the extension of the state of disaster and the lack of clarity of whether emergency procurement will still be allowed in various government departments, it means looting is continuing to happen while the president dithers and appoints other politicians to "pretend" investigate their comrades.
The President’s silence on Covid corruption is indicative of what is to come. The announcement of the SIU investigation was a national pacifier. Nothing is likely to come from it and critically, no politicians and those connected to them will be held criminally accountable like they should.
This is why the DA cannot rest until investigations into Covid corruption are carried out with haste and those responsible for this heinous crime are sent to jail.
Issued by Siviwe Gwarube, DA Shadow Minister of Health, 16 August 2020
