The Democratic Alliance (DA) is demanding justice after revelations that Police Minister Bheki Cele gallivanted off to the Rugby World Cup in France with a mysterious “private company” bankrolling his escapades.
But that’s not all – it turns out South African taxpayers were also footing the bill for his assistant’s luxurious Parisian getaway, a whopping R446 339.43.
DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Police, Okkie Terblanche, is outraged and has wasted no time in filing an official complaint with the Public Protector, urging an investigation and subsequent remedial action.
“This trip was clearly a personal pleasure jaunt and had nothing to do with the Minister’s official duties. Such blatant misuse of public funds goes against the Executive Members’ Ethics Act 82 of 1998 and the Executive Ethics Code,” said Terblanche.
He confirmed DA has already submitted a request to access more information on the matter, but their complaint to the Public Protector solidifies their determination to get to the bottom of this scandal.
According to Terblanche the complaint highlights numerous breaches of the Executive Ethics Code, including the Minister’s obligation to act with integrity and in the best interest of good governance, and to diligently and honestly perform their duties.
“It also explicitly prohibits Cabinet members from using their positions for personal gain or exposing themselves to conflicts of interest,” said Terblanche.
The DA said it would not stand by while ministers abuse state funds for their own indulgence, especially considering the dire funding situation of the SAPS.
Terblanche added that DA eagerly await the Public Protector’s report in the coming months, hoping for appropriate measures to be taken to hold the Minister accountable for his actions.
Discover more from Lephalale Express
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Be First to Comment