OUTA welcomes public protector's reports
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has welcomed the Public Protector’s reports which implicates the Treasury director-general, Dondo Mogajane as well as former ministers Malusi Gigaba and Fikile Mbalula.
Public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has reported that the Treasury director-general Dondo Mogajane did not disclose a conviction when applying for his position and that the former finance minister Malusi Gigaba’s conduct in hiring him was “improper”.
In addition, Mkhwebane found that former minister Fikile Mbalula violated the Executive Ethics Act and the constitution by asking a Sascoc sporting goods supplier to help him pay for his 2016 family holiday to Dubai. This is a serious offence for a Minister and speaks volumes regarding the misconduct and unethical behaviour that needs to be rooted out within Government.
“Unless Government sets the bar high and ensures that all members of Cabinet and Parliament conduct themselves in a fit and proper manner, society will not take those in authority seriously which will exacerbate Government’s current crisis of legitimacy,” says OUTA CEO Wayne Duvenage. “In the case of Minister Mbalula, this matter took far too long to get this outcome and going forward, we would like to see people in these positions investigated and dismissed far sooner if found guilty of such serious transgressions.”
“The Public Protector has finally shown some courage in investigating violations by state officials who have abused their power while in office. We trust that President Cyril Ramaphosa will use this opportunity to send a clear and strong anti-corruption message by acting decisively and swiftly,” said Duvenage.
Also implicated in the PP’s report is former Western Cape Premier Hellen Zille who violated the code of ethics by using her position to secure tablets for her son’s programme at a Khayelitsha school in 2014. “While on the surface Zille’s gesture to support her son in providing much needed extra tuition to under-resourced children appears to be for the greater good, undue influence is a slippery slope and the law needs to be applied equally to everyone,” added Duvenage.
OUTA is a proudly South African civil action organisation, that is purely crowd funded. Our work is supported by ordinary citizens who are passionate about holding government accountable and ensuring our taxes are used to the benefit of all South Africans.