Note to Editors: Please find an English soundbite by Cllr Chris Avant-Smith here
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg call for the Chief Whip of council, Cllr Sithembiso Zungu, to step down amid the highly disturbing allegations of his involvement in Johannesburg’s construction mafia. Our letter to the Speaker of Council, demands exactly this alongside an internal investigation.
These are very serious allegations, considering the number of projects that are supposed to provide valuable service delivery to residents. In this case, it is alleged that a R135 million school refurbishment project, has been driven to a standstill as Zungu and his associates demand the payment of so called “facilitation fees”.
This is not the first time that these allegations have made their way into the public domain. It is clear that the ANC itself will not act on corruption allegations, so now, the City of Johannesburg’s executive must. An internal investigation must take place, and should the DA not be satisfied by this, or the investigation, we will not hesitate to lay criminal charges against Cllr Zungu.
The Speaker of Council must act in the best interest of Johannesburg and address the looming corruption scandal inside the Council chamber.