The DA has given the deadline to Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Patricia De Lille to honour the request by Parliament’s SCOPA for her to hand over the investigation report by the SIU into the Beitbridge Border Fence saga.
“We hope that Minister De Lille will honour this SCOPA deadline. Besides, if the investigations clear her of wrongdoing as she has continuously claimed then she will have no problem handing the report over to Parliament for scrutiny,” said DA.
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However, the opposition party said it will not take Minister De Lille’s word for it, because it believes that she knows more about the Beitbridge [washing line] than she is letting on.
In addition, the party said the fact that her advisors, Mcendisi Mtshali and Melissa Whitehead, were part of a meeting with various role players to discuss the procurement process, and National Treasury’s damning findings against her indicating that:
“It would seem the Minister had a contract, supplier or contractor in mind, lends more credence to the allegations levelled against her.”
According to DA the Minister’s handling of this matter smacks of dishonesty. Adding that why has she been so reluctant to hand over the SIU report?
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“Is it because she was afraid that the information contained therein will reveal the true extent of her involvement and that it will not absolve her as she claimed?,” said DA.
Meanwhile, without the SIU report, the only inference that can be drawn is that Minister De Lille has something to hide. In the interest of transparency and accountability De Lille must release the report.
