Almost six years since pres. Cyril Ramaphosa promised that lifestyle audits would be carried out on government officials, this process is “still shockingly incomplete and inconclusive” and is the “ultimate indictment” against the Ramaphosa presidency.
This is how John Steenhuisen, DA leader, reacted after Ramaphosa announced in the National Assembly on Tuesday that lifestyle audits had so far been carried out on more than 11,000 civil servants.
According to Ramaphosa, lifestyle audits for civil servants have only been mandatory since 2021 and the process was only started towards the end of 2022.
“Earlier this year I sent letters to the deputy president, ministers and deputy ministers in which I requested their written consent to the process to ensure that the information is obtained in a legal manner.”
However, according to Ramaphosa, the implementation of these lifestyle audits was delayed by the change of service providers. “It is expected that this project will be completed by the end of this financial year.”
Steenhuisen said in response that South Africans still do not know “how many of their ministers are ANC crooks”. According to him, it is even more damning in light of media revelations that, among others, adj.pres. Paul Mashatile lives a life of luxury beyond his means.
“We deserve to know which ministers are corrupt and should be in jail. This recognition demonstrates pres. Ramaphosa’s hollow promise to clean up the corrupt government of the ANC and that corruption and state capture did not stop, but was simply prolonged under his term of office.”
It is equally unacceptable that pres. Ramaphosa can blame the delay in this process on a change of service providers, believes Steenhuisen.
“South Africans are tired of becoming poorer, hungrier and more desperate while ANC ministers live a luxurious life that continues to remain unhindered.”
