As South Africa approaches the end of its sixth parliament, citizens still do not know how many of their ministers are ANC crooks.
“It is now almost six years since pres. Cyril Ramaphosa promised to carry out lifestyle audits on members of the national executive council, but this process is still shockingly incomplete and unconvincing,” says John Steenhuisen, leader of the DA.
“This revelation by Ramaphosa in response to my parliamentary question today is even more damning than the numerous revelations in the media and investigations that have proven that his own deputy president, Paul Mashatile, among others, lives a life of luxury far beyond his means, which is funded by those implicated in state capture.”
According to Steenhuisen, the DA will continue to direct written questions to the president and to monitor the process of lifestyle audits for the executive management.
“South Africans must be able to see once and for all the extent of ANC corruption at the head of our government. We deserve to know which ministers are corrupt and belong in prison,” says Steenhuisen.
He believes Ramaphosa’s recognition is proof that his promise to clean up the corrupt ANC government is just empty words, and that “corruption and state capture have not stopped, but have simply been extended under Ramaphosa’s term of office”.
“Ramaphosa is indeed no better than his predecessor, Jacob Zuma.
“The Western Cape premier, Alan Winde, within six months of making the same promise as Ramaphosa, completed thorough and comprehensive lifestyle audits of all members of his provincial executive – which were made transparent and accessible to the public at all times – ,” says Steenhuisen.
“It is simply unacceptable that the same process cannot or does not want to be repeated by an ANC president. How many ANC skeletons is President Ramaphosa still trying to hide?”
According to Steenhuisen, it is equally unacceptable that Ramaphosa blames the delay in this process on a change of service providers.
“South Africans are tired of the excuses being made to allow lawlessness to reign under this government. South Africans are tired of becoming poorer, hungrier and more desperate while ANC ministers live a life of luxury that continues to be unhindered.”
