Summary extract of Speech by DA MPL Jack Bloom in the debate on Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane's State of the Province Address, February 25 2010

I support the call by Zwelinzima Vavi for lifestyle audits on senior politicians and officials.

He is absolutely right that we need to be suspicious about how certain people can afford luxurious houses, cars, parties and holidays way above what is known about their earnings.

I challenge the Premier to authorise lifestyle audits on all her MECs, all the heads of department, and also former MECs and former heads of department. We also need to include close relatives who may have gotten rich on government tenders.

The Premier was strangely silent in her opening speech on the issue of corruption (see here).

There was but one reference to corruption, namely a call on people to blow the whistle and a commitment to act on useable information in this regard.

This is frankly not enough. It is purely reactive, whereas there have to be active investigations.

In the Western Cape, Premier Helen Zille has instituted no fewer than 81 forensic investigations.

There is probably much more to be uncovered in all the government departments here.

The biggest fish of all, the former head of public works Sibusiso Buthelezi, has been allowed to walk away with a R1 million payout. I hope that the Hawks and the Special Investigations Unit follow up properly, else he and the "Alex Mafia" associated with Paul Mashatile are going to walk off scot free.

We need to see what is in the Resolve Group report on alleged corruption in this department. This report must be made publicly available as soon as possible. It is paid for by taxpayers' money and we have a right to know.

I suspect that it is being withheld because the fall-out will go beyond the Alex Mafia as it will implicate many other highly-placed people.

We should not be held hostage to internal ANC politics and the tussle for positions at the ANC's upcoming provincial congress.

The Alex Mafia network needs to be dismantled root and branch.

We have seen a number of people suspended and dismissed, but where are the criminal prosecutions? Why are accounting officers not charged with financial misconduct?

Where is the forensic audit into the motorsport contracts that were signed so unwisely and that we have now cancelled, saving hundreds of millions of rand?

Where is the forensic audit into the Gauteng Youth Commission?

Where is the consolidated anti-corruption hotline that you promised? Where must people report corruption and what is the process that guarantees that it will be acted on instead of ignored?

Does the Honourable Premier have nothing to say on opening up the tender process, building in more safeguards against tender favouritism and conflicts of interest?

Why the silence on this critical issue?

And another thing, please don't replace the Alex Mafia with a Krugersdorp Mafia or any other mafia of "tenderpreneurs".

Statement issued by Jack Bloom, MPL, Democratic Alliance member of Gauteng legislature, February 25 2010

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter