- DA welcomes State of Disaster for Gauteng, provided it brings relief, not looting.
- States of Disaster, especially in Gauteng, have historically become a free for all.
- Gauteng Premier Lesufi needs all the help he can get, but after the Covid-19 funding grift, the DA demands complete and absolute transparency.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng welcomes help that will improve the lives of our people.
When a State of Disaster is declared, it allows the National Executive to intervene more closely, with special funding for incidents like the recent devastating floods across South Africa.
Given Gauteng’s long and deeply criminal history when it comes to disaster funding, we cannot accept in good conscience that Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi will be intimately involved in this disaster process and funding.
Without absolutely transparent oversight, we know that millions of rands risk going missing once again. The DA therefore demands that there will be uninhibited, transparent and open disclosure of all expenditure on this state of disaster. Nothing can be hidden, covered up or done behind closed doors, because experience shows that is where the corruption starts.
This will remind everyone in Gauteng of the R431 million that as spent on sanitising empty schools during the Covid-19 lockdown, by this Gauteng government.
Cheap stunts will not solve the crisis Gauteng finds itself in, only decisive leadership will. Unfortunately, that is something neither the Mayor of Johannesburg, nor the Premier of Gauteng knows much about.
The DA will be unwavering in our oversight regarding this state of disaster, to keep ANC corruption out.