The Presidency claims that any evidence of wrongdoing by deputy president Paul Mashatile should be taken to the police.
This comes after the Democratic Alliance (DA) revealed that they have submitted a docket detailing Mashatile’s criminal activities to the office of the president at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
Docket has enough evidence
The party claims to have “all the dirt” on the country’s second-in-command.
They claimed that the docket is enough evidence to have Mashatile removed from the executive post and investigated by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
The party threatened to take the documents to the police and officially charge Mashatile and have him under immediate investigation and prosecution if President Cyril Ramaphosa fails to remove him from his cabinet at the State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Violation of Executive Ethics code
In a statement, the DA said they would also file an Executive Members’ Ethics Act complaint against the deputy president. The party says this is for allegedly violating the Executive Ethics Code.
“In all submissions to law enforcement, we will highlight the fact that Ramaphosa is now personally in possession of the dossier against Mashatile. And that his failure to act potentially implicates him in the corruption racket.
“This set of action represent but the start of what will be a sustained campaign to hold both Ramaphosa and Mashatile accountable. The DA will continue to fight this corruption using every channel at our disposal,” reads the statement.
‘Irregular’ Nonkwelo Investment loans
The DA has previously called on the human settlements department to reveal the full report on Nonkwelo Investment. The company has allegedly gained substantial loans from the Gauteng Partnership Fund (GPF). This was allegedly during Mashatile’s reign as MEC in the department. Nonkwelo Investment is said to be associated with Mashatile’s family.
Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson to the President, said anyone with evidence behind criminal activities should lay criminal charges. He said instead of pushing a political motive by laying criminal charges as a threat to get political demands.
Declaration of assets
Magwenya said all members of the national executive, including Mashatile, signed the Executive Members Code of Ethics. The code includes a sworn declaration of assets and income. He said this was one way of ensuring ethical conduct.
“Guidelines and procedures have been adopted and implemented to subject members of the executive branch and senior state officials to lifestyle audits. [This is] an additional critical measure to prevent corruption and capture.
“The government is committed to clean government and ethical leadership. [Also committed to] ending the scourge of corruption and state capture,” said Magwenya.
