Maimane calls for permanent lifestyle audits, splitting Cabinet into two ‘superministries’

One South Africa (OSA) Movement leader Mmusi Maimane has called for a permanent implementation of lifestyle audits of all politicians and senior government officials.

“The idea of lifestyle audits needs to be fleshed out and given sufficient teeth to expose those who have been accumulating wealth from tenders and other forms of abuse of power. Done without robust measures, these can be a window-dressing exercise, designed to simply exonerate as many people as possible,” he said on Wednesday morning.

Maimane was speaking ahead of Thursday’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) as he addressed ten solutions that President Cyril Ramaphosa needed to consider during his speech.

Ramaphosa is set to deliver the address at 7pm, in person, from the National Assembly.

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Amongst other solutions, Maimane also suggested that Ramaphosa should consider splitting Cabinet into two ministries as the current structure was “too big to deliver and too confusing to be efficient”.

“This reduction and repurposing needs to centre around the economic cluster. We require two ministries — Finance to focus on fiscal sustainability and Economic Development to focus on growth and job creation.

“These two superministries must be empowered and equipped. The rest can go. This is the surest way for SA to become a startup nation of employers rather than the state itself being the primary employer. In addition, it will save hundreds of millions of rands in government spending,” he said.

[LIVE NOW] press briefing ahead of tomorrow’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) https://t.co/TmbsPNPYAk

— Mmusi Maimane (@MmusiMaimane) February 10, 2021

He further suggested the establishment of an office of an independent inspector-general in effort to improve basic education in the country.

READ MORE: Ramaphosa’s Sona 2021 will not provide any solutions for SA’s ills, says Mashaba

“The inspector-general would be tasked with performing audits and investigations into the effectiveness and efficiency of all programmes and plans of national and provincial education departments.

“Empowered to investigate fraud and waste, improve effectiveness of public spending on education, and address the disproportionate power of education unions,” he explained.

[PRESS STATEMENT]#SONA2021

Mr President @CyrilRamaphosa Check your inbox, the people have spoken. pic.twitter.com/QOlNR4Ai8B

— ????????One South Africa Movement (@OneSA_Movement) February 10, 2021

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