DA slams ‘angazi’ responses on Maharaj’s ministerial compound stay

The Presidency has “no record” of any of it officials asking the Department of Public Works for it. Public Works‚ in turn‚ has “no record” of any of its officials authorising it.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) today said both “are yet again recycling the angazi (I don't know) skit used during the…Nkandlagate scandal‚ to avoid being held accountable for former presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj’s stay at the Ministerial Compound in Pretoria”.

This followed responses to parliamentary questions from the Presidency and Public Works on the issue‚ which the DA’s Phumzile van Damme described as “inexplicable and unacceptable”.

“South Africans deserve answers as to how public funds – which should be spent on creating opportunities for the people of South Africa – have been spent on benefiting yet another ‘friend’ of President Jacob Zuma‚” she said.

“The reality is that this is a dance we have seen too many times before‚” she said in reference to Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi and Zuma “claiming they had no knowledge of the spending of R246-million of public funds” on the latter’s Nkandla homestead.

Van Damme said the party would be submitting “further questions to…get the information they are now so conveniently lacking”‚ and “looks forward to the outcome of the Public Protector’s investigation into this matter”.

The DA approached the Public Protector last month to ask whether Maharaj’s stay at the Bryntirion Estate – which “is for the use of ministers and deputy ministers – “points to a flagrant abuse of public resources”