DA federal leader John Steenhuisen has expressed the party’s concern about the latest findings against ANC leaders in the Eastern Cape in the Public Protector’s report.
Busisiwe Mkhwebane has announced findings that Eastern Cape Premier, Oscar Mabuyane, Public Works MEC Babalo Madikizela and the provincial ANC benefited from political stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s memorial service, through the Mbizana Local Municipality.
Mkhwebane finds among other things that the investigation revealed that R1.1 million was irregularly deposited into the account of Mthombeni Project, by the municipality, and was subsequently misappropriated to benefit certain government officials.
Steenhuisen says he is concerned for those municipalities being run by the ANC.
“This at the same time Jessie Duarte is rushing to the Human Rights Commission to have a go at the DA, while her own premier and her own party members have got their fingers shoved in the tills and back pockets of ordinary citizens. I’ve been spending the last few days in the Eastern Cape and the state of service delivery is shocking. The roads are terrible, places like Buffalo City are a complete mess and the rural areas are completely neglected. And it’s no wonder, because the money that is supposed to go to the people is instead being spent on ANC politicians and ANC cadres.”
Public Protector releases investigation reports:
Phoenix poster uproar
Steenhuisen earlier this week found himself making headlines when he defended controversial posters in Phoenix in KZN which read: The ANC called you racists; the DA calls you heroes. The posters were criticised as insensitive and racially divisive. The came after more than 30 people died in Phoenix in attacks that were allegedly racially motivated during the July unrest.
In an about-turn, the DA in KwaZulu-Natal apologised for the controversial Phoenix posters and has begun removing them. This was just a day after Steenhuisen had defended the posters.
Steenhuisen defends DA election posters in Phoenix during march against water shortages:
In an interview with SABC News on Wednesday, Steenhuisen said the posters refered to all members of the public who defended their property lawfully during the widespread unrest, while government failed to protect them.
LGE 2021 | Steenhuisen refuses to apologise about party’s election posters in Phoenix:
The DA’s mayoral candidate in Johannesburg, Doctor Mpho Phalatse publicly criticised the posters while the ANC and NFP accused the party of fueling racial divisions.
In a statement the DA’s Chairperson in KwaZulu-Natal, Dean MacPherson, said the party was in the process of removing the posters. He took ownership of the message on the posters, and said it was an effort on his part to honour the bravery of people who were left to fend for themselves.
McPherson apologised for the hurt the posters caused some people.
LGE 2021 | DA’s John Steenhuisen on the campaign trail in Kouga municipality:
