NC govt must stop protecting corruption

8 February 2021

Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English & Afrikaans from Harold McGluwa, MPL

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is concerned that corruption in the Northern Cape is being protected and we want to know why serious allegations relating to the province never reached the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).

This comes after the SIU last week revealed that out of 189 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) corruption allegations brought to their attention, only a single allegation was received from the Northern Cape.

It is incomprehensible.

Last week, a presentation by the Office of the Auditor-General to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) highlighted serious irregularities in PPE procurement in the Northern Cape, particularly within the departments of Health and Education.

The AG’s office found that there was no proof of delivery for Covid-19 related orders totalling R9,3 million. Random people also signed on so-called deliveries, whereby PPE stock was chaotically dumped and stored, ultimately making it impossible to record and account for stock received.

Two contracts to the value of R43,87 million were awarded to companies that were in the process of being deregistered. A joint venture was also set up, for what we assume to be a front company, to enable a company that specialises in food and accommodation to be awarded a contract worth R13,92 million.

Companies were further registered just days before being awarded contracts.

These findings relate directly to what the SIU had found to be irregular in other provinces. In this regard, the SIU made referrals to state institutions for disciplinary action and even to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for criminal prosecution.

Why can the same not be said for the Northern Cape? Why, in this province, can state officials and their friends and relatives so easily get away with unlawful and illegal activities?

The DA will engage with the AG’s office to be able to better familiarize ourselves with the facts, after which time we will pursue all available avenues to expose the truth and bring those who have abused public funds intended to help fight Covid-19, to book.

Issued by Harold McGluwa,DA Northern Cape Provincial Leader, 8 February 2021