DA targets more alleged corrupt officials after exposing Mashatile

The Democratic Alliance (DA) says that after handing over its dossier on the alleged corruption of Deputy President Paul Mashatile, it has other looters in its sights.

The party’s leader, John Steenhuisen, went to the Union Buildings to hand over a dossier with an accompanying letter detailing damning allegations of corruption against Mashatile to the office of president.

“Over the past few months, a series of explosive exposes have been published by numerous investigative journalists outlining in granular detail the extent to which Paul Mashatile engaged in a web of corruption and state capture spanning almost two decades – behaviour that has become commonplace under the ANC,” he said.

More to come

Steenhuisen said this was only the start and there was more to come.

“We are very frustrated. Since the Zondo commission, no action has been taken against any of the people who were identified there, including the people in President Ramaphosa’s Cabinet.

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“Very serious accusations were made against Zizi Kodwa, Gwede Mantashe and several other members of Cabinet, yet nothing gets done about it,” he said.

Steenhuisen said he and his team waited at the Union Buildings to hand over the dossier, but no one bothered to meet them.

Frustration over Ramaphosa’s refusal to act

He said South Africans were getting frustrated with a president who refused to act.

“So we are saying, if the president isn’t going to act, we are going to act,” he said.

Steenhuisen said SA couldn’t have people with such serious allegations against them at the top levels of government.

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“There are more people we will be looking at and exposing the fact that the president knows exactly what’s going on, but does nothing about it. He has always said he would rather be a weak president than cause the ANC to break up.”

Responsibility to do that is right for SA

Steenhuisen said Ramaphosa had the responsibility to do what was right for the country, which included taking action against Mashatile.

“This is not the first time this has happened. Thabo Mbeki removed Jacob Zuma when he was deputy president when there were the Schabir Shaik allegations,” he said.

Steenhuisen said if Ramaphosa had kept the promise he made five years ago, there would be lifestyle audits for members of his Cabinet.

“We are now sitting at the end of his five-year term of office and not a single lifestyle audit has been done on any member of the Cabinet,” he said.

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DA going after all implicated in Zondo commission

Steenhuisen said the DA was going after all the members implicated in the Zondo commission, including Mantashe.

“They may think they have got away with it because their president is not going to act against them, but we are not going let them get away with it,” said Steenhuisen.