
FILE PHOTO: Paul Mashatile is being accused of being bankrolled by corruption accused businessmen. PICTURE: GCIS
JOHANNESBURG: Rise Mzansi would not let this matter rest until it reached its natural and legal conclusion.
Political party Rise Mzansi said that allegations that Deputy President, Mr Paul Mashatile was linked to state capture crimes should not be taken lightly.
The comments come after an exposé by News24 claiming that businessmen with government contracts fund Mr Mashatile’s lavish lifestyle. The publication links Mr Mashatile to corruption-accused businessman, Mr Edwin Sodi.
Rise Mzansi spokesperson, Mr Tebogo Moalusi, said that the revelations were worrying.
“Mr Edwin Sodi, who is alleged to be one of Mr Mashatile’s major benefactors and has been charged with corruption, also declined to refute the allegations. We are therefore left with the impression that the allegations must either be substantively true, or both have such disdain for the public that they do not care, which is more likely.
“In a country with no consequences for corruption, the establishment of political and business elites do not care to even acknowledge any public concerns as they assume the public should be grateful for their mere existence,” Mr Moalusi said.
Mr Moalusi called for the allegations to be tested.
“The office of the deputy president holds immense gravitas and importance to the people of South Africa. Such allegations are therefore serious and should receive the highest priority and response from Mashatile,” Mr Moalusi explained.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued by Mr Songezo Zibi, he said.”In terms of the Constitution and the Act, the deputy president may not act in any way that is inconsistent with his office, or expose himself to any situation involving the risk of a conflict between his official responsibilities and private interests; or use his position or any information entrusted to him, to enrich himself or improperly benefit any other person.”
“At face value, [the] deputy president has committed serious violations of, at least, the Constitution, his oath of office, and the Executive Members’ Ethics Act. The Act goes on further in Section 4 (1), where it states that the ‘Public Protector must investigate any alleged breach of the code of ethics on receipt of a complaint…’, and that, within 30-days of receiving a complaint of an alleged breach of the code of ethics, must submit a report to the president,” he said.
Mr Zibi said the South African political establishment had built a culture of zero accountability, especially when those in power are alleged to be or found to be corrupt or involved in other acts of criminality.
“South Africans have the power to put a stop to the politics of the cheque and corruption by voting for leaders of integrity, and leaders who use their elected office to change the lives of South Africa’s 60-million people, especially those who have previously gone unheard.
“Deputy President Mashatile may wrongly and arrogantly believe that he does not need to account to the media, but he will soon find that the Public Protector does not share the same tolerance for violations of the law and basic democratic principles.”
He said that, if it was found Mr Mashatile had violated any laws, he must be held accountable in the same way that any other citizen would be.
“Justice and the rule of law are cornerstones of our constitutional democracy, and any actions inconsistent with those values must be treated with the utmost seriousness.”
He said Rise Mzansi would not let this matter rest until it reached its natural and legal conclusion.
The Executive Members’ Ethics Act is the same legislation in terms of which complaints were laid against President Cyril Ramaphosa with regard to the Phala Phala allegations in June last year.