DA slams Mkhwebane for dragging feet on Magashule investigation

In a press release on Wednesday night, the DA’s Free State premier candidate, Patricia Kopane, criticised Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane for apparently being a month late, and counting, on her years-in-the-making report into the alleged corruption of ANC secretary-general and former Free State premier Ace Magashule.

Mkhwebane had earlier given an undertaking to release a report on the R140 million allegedly spent on the province’s website, which the DA first lodged a complaint about five years ago, during the tenure of Thuli Madonsela.

“The fact that this report concerning an investigation into the complaint, lodged by the DA about five years ago in 2013, after a tender was awarded by the provincial government for the construction of a website that allegedly cost about R140 million was not released today now raises serious questions,” said Kopane.

“It must be asked whether the fact that she met with Ace Magashule, the former premier who allegedly was personally involved with the decision to award this costly contract, last week had any bearing on the decision not to release the report.”

Magashule had told the media the meeting in question had been about the Vrede Dairy project, a matter which the DA is also displeased with Mkhwebane about, as she “inexplicably failed to investigate the political influence of Magashule and other ANC politicians on the project”.

They alleged that her failure to “disclose all meetings during other investigations – specifically with former president Zuma, a close ally of Magashule – raises the question whether the website complaint and report was also discussed”.

Kopane questioned whether Mkhwebane’s meeting with Magashule had had any bearing on the decision not to release the website report, “specifically as Mkhwebane informed the public on 18 September during a visit to the province that the release of the report on the website was to happen before the end of September”.

The website was apparently supplied by a close ally of Magashule’s after a process that began in 2010.

“This complaint further turns on the fact that R140 million of the taxes paid by the people of the Free State was used to obtain a product apparently not worth much more than R5 million.

“It is therefore of grave concern that the public protector, who is the sole custodian of the Executive Members Ethics Code, seems to have no sense of urgency in this regard.”

Kopane said she would formally ask for an update on the case from Mkhwebane.

“She must tell the people of the Free State what the status of the report is, whether she was furnished with a final report for sign-off when she took office and, if so, why she decided to reinvestigate or rework the matter and whether she discussed the matter and/or the report with Ace Magashule when she met with him recently.”

(Edited by Charles Cilliers)

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.