DA welcomes Faku guilty verdict

29 March 2016

The DA welcomes the verdict handed down in the East London Magistrate's Court today that found former Buffalo City Metro (BCM) mayor, Zukisa Faku, guilty of 9 counts of fraud and theft.

Faku was convicted of using her official BCM credit card for personal expenses and private purchases on overseas trips during her tenure as mayor.

This verdict follows Faku’s implication in a damning forensic report by Ernest & Young that found financial misconduct, wasteful expenditure and maladministration in the metro’s R1-billion Make-a-Difference (MAD) campaign. Despite the DA’s efforts to compel the public release of the report it was shelved by ANC councillors in BCM allowing Faku to escape accountability. 

Then Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Pravin Gordhan, undertook to establish a special unit within his department to collate the many outstanding forensic reports across the country and follow up on the actions taken in this regard. This was never done. It is now up to Minister Des van Rooyen to see that those implicated, including Faku, are held to account for their actions.

Faku is however only the tip of the iceberg with corruption and mismanagement in the ANC-run Buffalo City Metro being widespread. In fact, in the 2013/14 financial year, BCM lost a total of R600.9 million to unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful (UIFW) expenditure.

Corruption at all levels of government hurts citizens as it diverts money required for service delivery into the pockets of selfish officials. The guilty verdict against Faku should serve as warning to all public officials that corruption will not be tolerated.

The DA will continue to fight for change that cuts corruption and puts the needs of citizens first. It is this commitment to cutting corruption that resulted in the City of Cape Town have the lowest level of UIFW expensive of any metro in 2013/14 - a mere R339,000.

In the upcoming local government elections the DA will seek to expand our brand to good governance to more municipalities. All South Africans deserve a government that prioritises service delivery and job creation over advancement of opportunities for all. 

Statement issued by Kevin Mileham MP, DA Shadow Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, 29 March 2016