Suspension of ‘scapegoat’ justice department official a smoke and mirrors show – DA

Democratic Alliance (DA) member of parliament (MP) advocate Glynnis Breytenbach alleges Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha was not serious about investigating corruption involving Bosasa.

This after Masutha announced on Monday that an official within the department had been placed on precautionary suspension and a second had been asked to provide reasons why she should not suffer the same fate over the department’s contracts with African Global Operations (formerly Bosasa).

“This is nothing but a smoke and mirrors show designed to convince the South African electorate that the failing ANC government is taking recent revelations about a long-standing and fundamentally corrupt relationship between themselves and Bosasa seriously. The precautionary suspension of one or two scapegoated officials does not go nearly far enough to start to get to the heart of the problem,” Breytenbach said in her statement.

She added that the ANC “is at the heart of the problem” and that the suspensions announced by Masutha “are merely placeholders until the elections, where the ANC hopes to win another five-year mandate to continue their looting of the public purse”.

“The DA has been calling on President [Cyril] Ramaphosa to conduct a full audit of all government contracts with Bosasa and their subsidiaries. He must now get off his hands and do so without delay. The public can rest assured that it if he does not take the opportunity to do so now, the DA will not pass up the chance to do so once we are elected into government in May. At that point, corrupt cadres of the ANC will have no place left to hide,” Breytenbach said.

She added that the party was calling on Masutha to make public the record of decision that had led to the suspension within the department.

“It is crucial that we know what the extent of the implicated officials’ involvement was and whether any senior government officials or office bearers are involved and are being protected by Minister Masutha.”

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