‘ANC acting in best interest of SA,’ says Loyiso Masuku after PPE corruption fiasco

Loyiso Masuku, whose husband Bandile was recently removed as Gauteng health MEC, believes all members of the ANC act in the best interest of the country.

Speaking to radio station PowerFM on Wednesday, Loyiso Masuku said not only do all members of the ANC act in the best interest of the country, they also act in the best interest of the citizens of South Africa.

Masuku has recently returned to her post as the City of Johannesburg MMC for Group Corporate and Shared Services after being cleared of corruption allegations.

The Masukus were dragged into a corruption storm when it was revealed that Madzikane II Diko was implicated in tender graft claims linked to the procurement of personal protective equipment by the Gauteng health department.

Diko and his wife, presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko, are close friends of the Masukus.

The former MEC and Khusela Diko were placed on special leave pending the outcome of a probe by the Special Investigating Unit.

“I was on special leave after I requested [it] from [Johannesburg] mayor [Geoff Makhubo]. I was never suspended. I voluntarily took special leave to allow processes to unfold without me in the space and not to be seen [to be] interfering.

“There was a perception created in the media because I am a wife to a political head of a department [and] have a friendship with the wife of the person who would have received the contract.

“The perception was that I would have been involved in facilitating or influencing Khusela’s husband being in receipt of that particular contract. It was mainly to clear the perceived influence on whether I had any role to play and if I did what was the role,” Masuku claimed.

Masuku said it was later found that she did not play any role in the matter.

“I am neither working in the [Gauteng] Department of Health nor have I any relationship with officials there. My relationship is being a spouse to a political head in the province.

“Khusela and I have been friends for over 20 years, and we continue to be good friends now. We never entered into a business venture that succeeded. There was an intention to enter into a project in the Eastern Cape because we both come from the Eastern Cape.

“It never took off. We never managed to get a bank account [for] the venture and didn’t register it with SARS. It is in the process of deregistration,” Masuku said.

Masuku said she respected the ANC and was a disciplined member of the party.

“I voluntarily subjected myself to the ANC processes. I knew there was nothing untoward and sinister. I am happy with the outcome.

“Corruption is a very thorny issue in our society. It was important for residents of the City to be certain that they are not represented by a deployee who has [a] cloud hanging over her head.

‘It is important so that they understand that they are being served by a person who doesn’t have a cloud,” Masuku said.

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