Opposition parties yesterday reacted angrily to Eastern Cape premier Phumulo Masualle’s brushing off of a secret recording between two senior government officials.
The recording, which allegedly implicated ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane in tender manipulation, was made of a conversation between provincial director-general Marion Mbina-Mthembu and education head Ray Tywakadi.
It was provided to the Daily Dispatch by local businessman Sipho Leve, who has laid an official complaint.
Mbina-Mthembu can be heard asking Tywakadi about a school nutrition programme that provincial ANC secretary Oscar Mabuyane allegedly wanted for his “Ngcobo boys”.
At a press conference on Monday Masualle downplayed the contents of the recording saying “people were just making something out of nothing”.
But DA provincial leader Athol Trollip yesterday said the premier’s response was an example of “denialist protectionism”.
“The premier says the allegations can’t be true … This blanket denial and omnibus claim of virtuosity by the premier is belied by hundreds of well-known examples to the contrary,” he said adding it was not the first scandal the ANC had tried to cover-up.
“The Nkandla scandal involving a number of senior ANC government personalities and the recent, fraudulent Siyenza toilet scandal in the Amathole dstrict municipality, not to mention the Nelson Mandela funeral fraud scam, where the self-same Ms Mbina-Mthembu was implicated in impropriety and protected by the same premier, are but three cases in point that are in conflict with the premier’s claim,” Trollip said.
Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) provincial secretary Jerome Mdyolo echoed similar sentiments saying there was a lot of political interference in the ANC-led government.
“ When allegations like these surface there is a deep need for the government to investigate because people have been complaining that there are certain politically connected people getting preference to be awarded work with government,” Mdyolo said.
EFF’s newly elected provincial secretary Ayanda Makhongwane said the party had noted the allegations.
“As the EFF we will be monitoring all the involvement of ANC leadership in government operations,” Makhongwane said.
Subsequent to the Saturday Dispatch exposé, Trollip submitted legislature questions to education MEC Mandla Makhuphula asking whether he had taken any steps to curb tender irregularities in his department and if so, what the steps entailed.
“If he has not I challenge MEC Makupula to act swiftly and decisively if he is serious about his department’s reputation and responsibility to educate the future generations,” said Trollip. — siphem@dispath.co.za
DA angry over premier’s response
The recording, which allegedly implicated ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane in tender manipulation, was made of a conversation between provincial director-general Marion Mbina-Mthembu and education head Ray Tywakadi.
It was provided to the Daily Dispatch by local businessman Sipho Leve, who has laid an official complaint.
Mbina-Mthembu can be heard asking Tywakadi about a school nutrition programme that provincial ANC secretary Oscar Mabuyane allegedly wanted for his “Ngcobo boys”.
At a press conference on Monday Masualle downplayed the contents of the recording saying “people were just making something out of nothing”.
But DA provincial leader Athol Trollip yesterday said the premier’s response was an example of “denialist protectionism”.
“The premier says the allegations can’t be true … This blanket denial and omnibus claim of virtuosity by the premier is belied by hundreds of well-known examples to the contrary,” he said adding it was not the first scandal the ANC had tried to cover-up.
“The Nkandla scandal involving a number of senior ANC government personalities and the recent, fraudulent Siyenza toilet scandal in the Amathole dstrict municipality, not to mention the Nelson Mandela funeral fraud scam, where the self-same Ms Mbina-Mthembu was implicated in impropriety and protected by the same premier, are but three cases in point that are in conflict with the premier’s claim,” Trollip said.
Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) provincial secretary Jerome Mdyolo echoed similar sentiments saying there was a lot of political interference in the ANC-led government.
“ When allegations like these surface there is a deep need for the government to investigate because people have been complaining that there are certain politically connected people getting preference to be awarded work with government,” Mdyolo said.
EFF’s newly elected provincial secretary Ayanda Makhongwane said the party had noted the allegations.
“As the EFF we will be monitoring all the involvement of ANC leadership in government operations,” Makhongwane said.
Subsequent to the Saturday Dispatch exposé, Trollip submitted legislature questions to education MEC Mandla Makhuphula asking whether he had taken any steps to curb tender irregularities in his department and if so, what the steps entailed.
“If he has not I challenge MEC Makupula to act swiftly and decisively if he is serious about his department’s reputation and responsibility to educate the future generations,” said Trollip. — siphem@dispath.co.za
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