Special delivery: War of words over KZN Premier’s tanker claims
KWAZULU-NATAL Premier Sihle Zikalala has defended himself against allegations that he abused his powers to summon a water tanker to deliver water to his home in the La Mercy area.
He faced criticism during a provincial legislature sitting yesterday, following revelations that a water tanker had delivered water to his house while thousands of residents are without water following the storm damage to infrastructure.
DA leader Francois Rodgers called on the premier to step aside, while EFF leader Vusi Khoza said this was indicative of the ANC’s malfeasance in governing.
The allegations first emerged earlier this week and were dismissed by the provincial government as baseless and contemptuous.
However on Monday, the La Mercy Civic and Ratepayers’ Association said many of its members witnessed the water tanker proceed to the home of the premier where the driver offloaded it for the exclusive use of the premier’s home.
Zikalala yesterday changed his tune and said the delivery of water to his home was a mistake that would never happen again and he had apologised to the community.
He said he had been sourcing water for the community for some time.
He blamed the DA ward councillor Geoff Pullan, describing him as an absent councillor and said residents had knocked on his door looking for assistance, which is how he was “dragged” into the issue of water supply.
“From last year the La Mercy resident association came to me with a petition … It was not the first time that the community of La Mercy asked me to get a water tanker for them, I have been getting water tankers, pleading with the municipality.
“This time I was not at home when they delivered the water, they delivered water to my house and when the La Mercy community engaged me on that, I sincerely apologised to them and told them it will not happened again. “I am organising water for the people of La Mercy because they have a councillor who is absent, Councillor Geoff Pullan from the DA.” Rodgers said the premier should step aside “for a fully independent investigation into his unethical and misleading conduct”.
“On Monday, the premier vehemently denied the accusations, claiming that he had arranged it (the water) for the community,” Rodgers said.
“Earlier today (Wednesday), in a shocking about-turn, he admitted that he had in fact arranged for the tanker to be at his house while offering a pathetic apology and promising that it would never happen again.
“This is a shocking abuse of power which amounts to theft. What the premier has done is steal water from the most vulnerable residents of our province.
“The DA has no faith in Premier Zikalala. His reputation is in tatters.”
THAT South Africans seem to be more concerned about wrongdoing in how the funds meant to help the floodstricken provinces recover from the disaster are spent than the actual devastation is a shameful indictment of this administration’s lack of will to tackle corruption.
It proves the opposite of what President Cyril Ramaphosa promised when he first assumed the highest office in the country, as corruption has found a home in his administration even when people are suffering the most.
We need not remind you of how comrades and their associates feasted on PPE contracts, because that point has already been made in our previous editorials. However, what is clear and quite encouraging this time around, is that South Africans have found their voice and are saying “no more”.
It is hard to downplay the calls for the relief funds to be handled by organisations with a proven track record such as the Gift of the Givers, when no convictions have been secured for those who looted the money meant to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a “functioning” country, the head would not only be worried about his/her administration being constantly marred by allegations of corruption, but would be contemplating resigning and allowing those with the will to act to lead, but not here.
Political patronage leads to greater rewards.
Although sounding like a hopeless bystander, Ramaphosa himself conceded the fact that his government is not to be trusted with funds from the public purse, when he said in his address on Monday: “It will be critical, as we undertake this work, that all the resources we mobilise are used for their intended purpose and reach the intended recipients. There can be no room for corruption, mismanagement or fraud of any sort.”
It is shameful that citizens should be worried about this, especially those who lost their loved ones in this disaster and desperately need to rebuild their lives. Already there are reports that water meant for the poor was diverted to the private home of KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala when hundreds of people were desperately waiting for the water tanker.
This disaster presents yet another opportunity to scrutinise how this government responds to the crisis, so that come 2024, South Africans will be armed with enough “ammunition” when making their mark.