‘Charge firepool officials’

MAIMANE: MINISTERS WHO LIED TO PARLY ‘MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE’ Build One SA wants one employed person in every home in country.

ANC ministers and officials who covered up for former president Jacob Zuma should be held accountable for lying to parliament, says Build One SA leader Mmusi Maimane.

Maimane, who was a parliamentarian at the time Zuma was investigated for corruption related to the R250 million renovations at his Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, home, said ANC officials had clearly lied to parliament to protect one of their own.

During a public meeting this week, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula let the cat out of the bag by saying that some officials had lost their jobs covering up the Nkandla scandal.

He admitted that the controversial firepool at Zuma’s home was actually a swimming pool.

“I remember that report. The charge now is that the ANC members who were on that committee are in violation of the Powers and Privileges Act, which means you cannot lie in parliament.

“We cannot have a situation where politicians lie in parliament,” said Maimane.

The former Democratic Alliance leader said the public protector should look at the Nkandla matter based on comments made by Mbalula. “The criminal case on Nkandla is still open. I opened the case on acts of corruption. I will be following up with the investigating officer on that case,” he said.

Maimane accused the ANC of continuing the culture of lies, even in the current presidency of President Cyril Ramaphosa, who also faced a scandal involving alleged illicit money flows at his Phala Phala farm. The ANC in parliament used its majority to ensure Ramaphosa was not held accountable.

“That Phala Phala matter should be properly investigated because it cannot be that they just say we voted on it and there was nothing we dispute in the report,” he said.

Meanwhile, Maimane has kicked off his campaign to become the country’s next president. He said as part of its manifesto, Build One SA would be focusing on ensuring there was at least one employed person in every home.

He said he believed the dignity of employing South African citizens was a step toward addressing the economic and historical social problems of South Africa.

“I think it is possible to ensure there is a job in every home in the next five years. We have to support even the entrepreneur in the township because that is work.” –

I will be following up on the Nkandla case