Opposition parties want Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha to account for alleged corruption in his office. This follows a raid on the Premier’s offices by the Hawks on Friday.
They’re investigating officials suspected of colluding with service providers to charge inflated rates for international trips. A flight ticket, for example, would cost the provincial government five times the normal price.
The Hawks are set to pounce on procurement officials in the Limpopo Premier’s office and opposition parties say that the Premier too, should be held to account. Democratic Alliance (DA) Provincial leader, Jacques Smalle, says that none of those trips could have happened without Mathabatha’s knowledge.
“He is the Chief Executive Officer that signs off all of these trips. None of them can and will happen without his knowledge and if there is any sort of malfunction or mismanagement, he is part of that. Therefore, he must be held accountable, he must take responsibility.”
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Provincial secretary, Jossey Buthane, says that Mathabatha knew about the colluding between officials and travel agencies.
“He knew that there was collusion between those people in the travel agencies and people in his office because that thing shows. On that package, there are prices there he has been to Cuba and he knows you can’t go there for R225 000. He should have asked what was happening. It means he was involved.”
The ruling party has rubbished suggestions that its provincial leader may be implicated in wrong-doing.
