DA gives Bathabile Dlamini 48 hours to report alleged corruption

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has given recently resigned African National Congress (ANC) member of parliament (MP) Bathabile Dlamini 48 hours “to do the right thing” and report to the police the alleged corruption she claimed to be aware of in her resignation letter.

In her resignation letter, Dlamini claimed that she was aware of wives of ANC members who were involved in seemingly dubious relationships with Cash Paymaster Services (CPS).

In the letter, she states that “[those] that made profit through CPS by their wives are known but because they are respected by the organisation, nothing is being said to them”.

The DA said Section 34 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act stated that anyone who suspected or knew of another person who had committed corruption should report the offence to the police, with failure to do so as an offence.

“The DA will give Dlamini 48 hours to report this alleged corruption to the police, if she fails, we will proceed with laying criminal charges against her. The DA has already laid perjury charges against her following the damning judgement in which the Constitutional Court requested that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) consider whether Dlamini should be prosecuted for lying under oath during her testimony at the Judge Bernard Ngoepe inquiry into the social grants crisis.

“Turning a blind eye to crime is a crime. And for far too long Bathabile Dlamini has gotten away with evading accountability.

“She has never taken personal responsibility for her hand in seemingly manufacturing the social grants crisis. Instead, she has blamed her detractors of scapegoating her and proceeded to play the victim.

“The DA will not waiver in holding Dlamini accountable whether she is an MP or not and we will ensure that she gets her day in court.”

The opposition party welcomed Dlamini’s resignation, saying she had never acted in the best interest of the people of South Africa as she only served the interests of the ANC, the politically connected, and herself.

“The former minister has a long history of dodging accountability and her recent resignation as MP does not absolve her being held to account for the mess she has created in the social grant system.”

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)

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