The Inkatha Freedom Party in KwaZulu-Natal has criticised the Finance Portfolio Committee Chairperson, MPL Sipho Nkosi of the ANC for not pursing the whereabouts of the report of the SIU investigation that President Zuma had called for in 2015 but now expresses shock that the President has called for another investigation into the shenanigans in the KZN Treasury that were revealed by the IFP at a media briefing in November 2016.
“Sipho Nkosi, as Chairperson of the Finance Portfolio Committee must have been aware of the media briefing that we as the IFP held in November 2016 where we presented various serious allegations of fraud and corruption at the KZN Treasury. Many media houses were present and reported on our concerns. Therefore, we now find it strange that Nkosi will now consider it strange that President Zuma has called for another investigation. We agree with Nkosi when he questions the outcome of the 2015 investigation and the whereabouts of the report. We have been asking the same question for about two years now, but neither Nkosi nor MEC Belinda Scott saw it fit to find out what has happened to that report. We are of the view that Nkosi and Scott were hopping that the matter will just fade away since we expressed the view that Scott was protecting the white cabal that is operating within the KZN Treasury,” said Mr Blessed Gwala, IFP Leader in the KZN Legislature.
“It is true that the office of Auditor General, Kimi Makwetu had given the provincial treasury clean audit reports in the past, but it must be remembered that the AG’s Office can only comment on documents and accounts that are presented for audit. The AG’s Office will not be made aware of the contracts that are given to persons who are well-connected to senior staff within Treasury or any other underhanded activities that are going on. In the past we have suggested that the AG’s Office amend its audit processes so that invoices can be more closely scrutinised to ensure that what was ordered was in keeping with what was supplied.
At the IFP media briefing we expose some of those serious irregularities in the hope that MEC Scott will take us seriously and herself call for an investigation. As the IFP we are hopeful that MEC Scott and Sipho Nkosi will co-operate with the investigation since it has been called for by their boss. We also call upon them to find the whereabouts of the 2015 SIU investigation report and make it available to the Finance Portfolio Committee and the public at large,” concluded Mr Gwala.
Issued by:
Mr Blessed Gwala MPL
IFP Leader in the KZN Legislature
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