THE ANC Youth League in Gauteng and leading opposition parties, including the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), are calling for the resignation of Premier David Makhura after he was implicated in a number of COVID-19 personal protection equipment scandals.
The calls for Makhura’s resignation comes amid a full-scale investigation into PPE corruption by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
An affidavit deposed by the Gauteng Department of Health’s former chief financial officer Kabelo Lehloenya alleges that Makhura was at the centre of awarding of multimillion rand PPE tenders, giving instructions to which companies should be appointed to supply and deliver PPE in the province.
The youth league said at the weekend that Makhura should step aside and be hauled before the party’s Integrity Commission for his role in the PPE corruption scandals.
The league is also calling for Makhura to hold Basic Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi accountable over the R435 million ‘irregularly’ used by his department to sanitise schools while no learning was taking place.
The DA in Gauteng has also called for Makhura to be removed, saying it has written to the Speaker of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, Ntombi Mekgwe, requesting that a special sitting be convened urgently to debate a motion of no confidence in Premier David Makhura.
The DA said it was calling for the immediate removal of Makhura after he was implicated in a number of PPE corruption scandals.
The official opposition party said more than R2.2 billion has not been accounted for since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March last year.
The party alleges that it was in possession of an affidavit made by former Gauteng Health CFO, in which he implicated Makhura for his alleged involvement in the appointment of six companies to supply PPE.
The matter is one of a number of PPE corruption scandals in the province, with the latest being over the more than R430 million spent to disinfect and deep-clean schools in the province.
“The DA is calling for the immediate removal of Premier Makhura because he has been implicated in a number of PPE corruption scandals,” said the party’s Mike Moriarty, DA Gauteng Provincial Legislature Chief Whip
“If this province is serious about the delivery of services to its residents in a clear and transparent manner, the Speaker of the GPL will adhere to the DA’s call for a special sitting to be held.”
The EFF in Gauteng said under Makhura’s administration, the office of the premier has become a breeding ground for corruption.
“He has on numerous occasions failed to do oversight and allowed a systematic culture of undermining clean governance and effective delivery of public health care services to thrive,” said EFF commissar Itai Edwin Mukwevho.
“The latest developments involving Kabelo Lehloenya, the former Health Chief Financial officer implicating Makhura in the personal protective equipment (PPE) looting is not a surprise to us. ANC leaders and their factional battles in the province are the biggest pandemic. Their appetite for public funds is insatiable.”
Mukwevho added: “We challenge Makhura to deny that Kabelo Lehloenya is just a scapegoat for the corruption allegations related to Covid-19 PPE that have rocked the department. Makhura’s failure to act on those who intentionally flout the enforcement of laws governing the procurement processes raises question on his involvement in undermining Gauteng residents.”
The EFF said in August 2020, Makhura dismissed as baseless claims that him and his family were involved in the procurement of PPE’s.
These allegations keep coming up, and we challenge him to prove to the people of this province that he is as innocent as he claims,” said Mukwevho.
“We would not be surprised because since taking office he has been presiding over a lawless administration in which corruption is normalised. Under his stewardship, the healthcare system in this province has been brought to its knees,” he said.
“He presided over an administration that sentenced the Life Esidimeni patients to their painful deaths. Under his watch, the AngloGold Ashanti hospital in the Westrand, which was donated by the mining company to care for Covid-19 patients, is now a subject of SIU investigation because it received more than R500 million to remodel it with facilities to treat Covid-19 patients.”
On Saturday, Makhura said he has informed the ANC provincial office bearers about his decision to go and offer an explanation to the ANC Integrity Committee.
“I am willing to step aside from government and the PEC, if the ANC so decides,” said Makhura at the weekend.
“However, I will not allow lies and an orchestrated smear campaign to tarnish my name. For quite a while, I have been aware of an orchestrated campaign to tarnish my name with the ultimate objective to remove me from the Gauteng political scene. It is quite clear that I have become an obstacle to the realisation of certain political ambitions and business agendas. I can confidently say that smear campaigns and the lies underpinning them will not succeed because the truth is more powerful and stubborn than political trickery. I seek no other relief than to free the truth from the flame of lies being fanned.”
(SOURCE: INSIDE POLITICS)
