What ethical justification was there in the first place for the department of employment and labour and the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) to even contemplate investing R5-billion of taxpayers’ money in one of its department’s contractors.
The CEO of Thuja Capital Fund, Mthunzi Mdwaba, alleged minister Thulas Nxesi, and other ministers, attempted, through officials working for ministers, to solicit a 10% kickback of the irregular R5-billion deal.
Now Nxesi, as the ultimate head of the department, must spend time, and probably a lot of taxpayers’ money, trying to exonerate himself. He must now prove his innocence in this botched transaction in which he is alleged to have, with other ministers, solicited a R500-million bribe, or a 10% cut of the R5-billion located in his department, the UIF.
In return, through Thuja Capital Fund, 750 000 jobs would have been created.
These allegations are serious. They also implicate Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and minister Blade Nzimande. Nxesi denies the allegations, describing them as “false and defamatory” – adding there was no way R5-billion would have been released to Mdwaba’s entity for the creation of the said jobs.
He claims bad faith is at play, following the withdrawal of his candidature for a plum job at the International Labour Organisation. Does that matter? Probably, but the point is that it would be foolhardy to minimise the allegations.
A probe must be launched into the matter, which we should add, has all the traits of a corrupt deal.
What about the president? How might he react to these allegations? Can he afford not to crack the whip?
The president cannot, and must not, remain silent. He promised a clean government, show us. Heads must roll.
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