ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
At a press conference on Monday, Democratic Alliance (DA) chief whip John Steenhuisen outlined the party’s plans to increase the involvement of opposition parties in parliament’s portfolio committee.
Parliament will elect the chairs for these committees on Tuesday, and the DA took the opportunity to use both the press conference and their official Twitter account to dish the dirt on the controversial members put forwards as nominees by the ANC in what has been reported to be a process led by its secretary-general, Ace Magashule.
The DA levelled the following allegations at the ANC’s portfolio chair nominees:
“Faith Muthambi (cooperative governance and traditional affairs) – Generally considered a corrupt and failing minister. She leaked confidential state information to the Gupta family and lied to parliament’s ad hoc committee of inquiry into the crisis at the SABC.”
Dr Sibongiseni Dlomo (health) – MEC for health in Kwazulu-Natal when the collapse of oncology services in that province deprived hundreds of thousands of cancer patients of treatment.
READ MORE: How Magashule tried to take over parliament – report
“Tina Joemat-Petterson (Police) – She allegedly sold off the country’s strategic fuel reserves at well-below market value, without the requisite permission while she was minister of energy.
“Bongani Bongo (home affairs) – He was the Zuma-deployed minister of state security and has racked up numerous allegations of corruption and bribery against him, most infamously during the inquiry into state capture at Eskom, when he tried to bribe Advocate Vanara.
“Supra Mahumapelo (tourism) – gave millions in tenders to the Gupta family and refused to share/release damning forensic reports while cities and towns fell apart and health services in his province all but collapsed.
“Mosebenzi Zwane (transport) – notorious for his role in the Estina dairy farm project, which saw the Gupta family loot millions of Rands from the Free State government to pay for a luxurious wedding for their niece.
“Rosina Semenya, the nominee for the human settlements, water and sanitation committee, earned herself the nickname of ‘sleepist’ during the last parliament [and] might do nothing worse than doze off while her flock is carried away.”
The Citizen reported on June 20 that a list of nominations for leaders of parliamentary portfolio committees, unveiled the day before Ramaphosa delivered his state of the nation address, confirmed weekend reports that former president Jacob Zuma loyalists, left out of Ramaphosa’s cabinet and some implicated in the state capture inquiry, were making a comeback.
This is said to be part of the fightback charge by Zuma loyalists, led by Magashule, who himself has a cloud over his head regarding the Gupta-linked Estina dairy farm debacle.
(Compiled by Daniel Friedman. Additional reporting, Sipho Mabena)
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