Maimane beats the graft drum in Limpopo march
'If there’s one thing the ANC does exceptionally well, it is to reward crooks with cushy jobs,' Maimane told marchers in Polokwane.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane, right, DA Limpopo premier candidate Jacques Smalle, left, and DA MP Phumzile Van Damme lead a march against graft in Polokwane, 4 April 2019. Picture: Alex Matlala
Leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) Mmusi Maimane said yesterday the list of ANC candidates for parliament consisted of criminals, fraudsters and scammers who belonged in prison, not parliament.
“When I look at the list of ANC candidates for parliament, I see nothing but corrupt cadres involved in the Gupta state capture, the arms deal scandal and the Bosasa looting.
“If there’s one thing the ANC does exceptionally well, it is to reward crooks with cushy jobs,” said Maimane in an address to protesters marching to the Office of the Premier in Polokwane, Limpopo yesterday.
He said Limpopo was one of the most corrupt provinces in the country, with a mountain of graft scandals left untackled.
“We have recently seen the Limpopo government pay R116 million for a piece of land valued at R8 million. We have seen the R3 billion Giyani water project grind to a halt due to mismanagement and corruption, leaving 55 villages without water.
“The education MEC here received R1.65 million in kickbacks for awarding tenders for the construction of toilets.
“And despite numerous investigations by the Hawks and the Public Protector, there has not been one arrest and prosecution,” said Maimane, to loud cheers from the over 2,000 marchers.
He reminded marchers that 11 Limpopo muncipalities alone had deposited R2 billion in VBS Mutual Bank, with executives allegedly receiving kickbacks for this.
“Seven of these municipalities lost more than R1.2 billion in the looting at VBS.”
He said the DA had identified 46 people on the party’s national list who should not be elected to any public position.
“The list includes blatantly corrupt people like Malusi Gigaba, Fikile Mbalula and Faith Muthambi. It includes the criminally incompetent, like Bathabile Dlamini. It includes Bosasa beneficiaries like Nomvula Mokonyane and Gwede Mantashe.
“It includes travel voucher scammers, credit card scammers, tender fraudsters and looters of Madiba funeral money. It includes Gupta stooges, rape accused and even murder accused.
“And it includes President [Cyril] Ramaphosa who took bribe money from Bosasa, and whose position allowed his son to benefit to the tune of R2 million from Bosasa.”
Two ANC mayors accused in the VBS scandal made it onto the provincial list – former Vhembe District Municipality mayor Florence Radzilani and former Lepelle Nkumpi Municipality mayor Nakedi Sibanda, he added.
– alexm@citizen.co.za
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