The Public Protector’s token efforts will not save us from the Guptas

The following remarks were delivered today by DA Leader, Mmusi Maimane, at a public meeting in Morokweng, North West Province, as part of the #Change19 Tour.
My fellow South Africans,
This morning I visited the homes of families here in Morokweng, and I was left saddened and angry at the conditions than many people here have to live in.
You have a government that no longer cares what happens to you here in this far-flung corner of the country. You simply don’t matter to them any longer, because they have become a government that looks after themselves and their friends first, and the people last.
A government that cares about the wealth of President Zuma and the Guptas instead of the welfare of ordinary men, women and children like you.
Every Rand that has been diverted towards the Guptas – and there have already been billions – is money that could have made a difference in your lives.
Last month the Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, announced that she would be launching a new investigation into State Capture. But she didn’t give us any details of whom or what she intended to investigate. Of course we were skeptical, given her track record in office to date.
So I wrote to her and asked her to explain the scope of this new investigation. Since the previous Public Protector’s Report we’ve seen hundreds of thousands of Gupta emails leaked to the press, directly implicating the President and the three Gupta brothers in the looting of our resources. She has enough evidence to investigate this matter right to the very top.
A month later, on the 18th of July, I received a reply from her office in which she informed me that her investigation would focus on three things:

  1. Eskom complaints, including the appointment of Briand Molefe as CEO, the awarding of contracts to Matshela Koko’s daughter, the role of Minister Lynne Brown in the reappointment of Molefe, and allegations by former Minister Ramathlodi that Molefe and Ben Ngubane pressurised him into securing the Glencore mine for the Guptas.
  2. Transnet complaints, including allegations of a R5.3bn kickback on locomotive procurement, the role of Malusi Gigaba in the appointment of Iqbal Shama and Brian Molefe to the Transnet board, and the role of Regiments Capital and Trillian Capital in the procurement of freight locomotives.
  3. New State Capture allegations, including the leaking of confidential information to the Guptas by Faith Muthambi, and allegations of South African immigration officials positioned in India to assist Gupta associates and businesses.

Now, I welcome this investigation, as I am sure most South Africans would. But anyone can see what is missing here. Despite a mountain of evidence, she has deliberately avoided going after the four main players in this corrupt super-syndicate: Jacob Zuma, Atul Gupta, Ajay Gupta and Rajesh Gupta.
Everyone else is just a minor player in this saga. They are just the foot soldiers who had to open the doors, grease the wheels and cover the tracks of the real criminals. Advocate Mkhwebane’s failure to even mention these people leads me to one conclusion only: She has no intention of doing her sworn duty because the independence of her office is severely compromised.
Fellow South Africans,
Until we rid our government of the parasites that suck our country dry, communities like this will always suffer. Because it is impossible to serve both the Guptas’ greed and the people’s needs.
This ANC government has proven, over and over again, that it does not have the will to kick a corrupt president and his corrupt cronies out. Our only hope lies in a fresh start under a new government. And this is where you come in. Because only through the power of your vote can we save our country.
In the 2019 election, you will have the opportunity to do just that. But for many of you it will mean doing something you’ve never done before. It will mean turning your back on the ANC, like they have already turned their back on you.
I assure you, if you lend the DA your vote in 2019, we will make your needs our priority. We will not forget this community.

Use your vote to change your future

The following remarks were delivered today by DA Leader, Mmusi Maimane, at a public meeting in Stella, North West Province, as part of the #Change19 Tour.
My fellow South Africans,
It’s great to be here in the North West Province, speaking to you about what we can do to build the kind of South Africa that works for all.
Today in this province, in the North-West High Court in Rustenburg, the trial of 19 men accused of killing non-striking miners in Marikana resumes. This trial will bring some closure for the families of the victims and the community of Marikana.
All those responsible for the terrible events that took place in Marikana must face the full might of the law, and their victims must never be forgotten.
My fellow South Africans,
I have been meeting with residents of this Stella community this morning in their homes, speaking to them about the issues that their families are facing. And what I saw and heard here today has saddened me.
If this is the best that this ANC government of Naledi Municipality can do for you, then you need a new government here. The sooner the better. Because what I saw here this morning is not how citizens of this country are meant to live 23 years into our democracy.
I met families struggling to put any kind of food on the table – some even resorting to collecting expired meat dumped by the local butcher.
I met families who have to walk 500m to the only tap in the area to fetch water for their homes. And very often this tap would be dry.
I met families of three generations where the only income is a child support grant – families that can’t afford the basic school uniforms or books, not to mention any kind of studies after school.
I met people still waiting for electricity, taps, flushing toilets – all the things that a caring government is meant to provide for the people they serve. But that doesn’t happen here, because this ANC government has stopped caring a long time ago.
Throughout this municipality, young people have had to abandon their hope of achieving more, because just surviving from day to day is hard enough. We tell our children they can be whatever they can dream, but we forget how impossible this can seem when you can’t see a way out of your current situation.
This can’t be the way forward for the young people of South Africa. We cannot accept that a whole generation will have nothing to look forward to except unemployment, crime, drugs and teenage pregnancy. We cannot tell our children that they must limit their dreams to the size of a social grant.
No, my fellow South Africans, you are not getting the service you deserve from your government, and you must not accept this.
You must not accept that a single Jojo tank has to provide water to a community of 3000 people. And if it wasn’t for the efforts of the former DA candidate here, Don Diedereck, along with your current DA candidate, Alfred Lekgetho, there wouldn’t even be this one tank.
You must not accept the slow pace of housing delivery here. You must not accept the unfair way in which these houses are handed out. And you must not accept that many of these houses don’t even have taps.
You must not accept the fact that many of you don’t have electricity and that many of you have to share pit toilets.
You have every right to expect more from your government. And if you think the government you voted for has let you down, you have every right to change your vote in Wednesday’s by-election and vote for a government that will serve you.
That’s the benefit of this by-election – it allows you a rare second chance to decide what you want for this community here in Ward 1, and for your municipality.
I want to assure you today that if you put your trust in the DA and in our candidate here, Alfred Lekgetho, we will work hard to repay that trust. We will listen to your concerns, we will respond to your needs and we will make sure that the will of the people of Stella is truly represented in this local government.
And if you then feel that a DA ward councillor has made a positive difference to your community, you can go one step further in two years’ time and vote for a DA government here in the North West province, and in South Africa.
Because the big issues that people face here and across the country – unemployment, poverty and lack of opportunities – need to be solved in national government.
We know by now that this ANC government will not and cannot do so. It is time for change – for a new beginning – and only you have the power of the vote to bring that change.
Thank you.

Use your vote in Wednesday’s by-election to keep making progress

The following remarks were delivered today by DA Leader, Mmusi Maimane, at a public meeting in Leseding, Limpopo, ahead of an upcoming by-election on 2 August. The Leader was joined by DA Limpopo Leader, Jacques Smalle. Mayor of Modimolle/Mookgophong, Marlene van Staden, Chief Whip, Dingaan Motswene, and DA Candidate for Ward 1, Eric Aphane.
My fellow South Africans,
Here in Leseding, in the Modimolle/Mookgophong Local Municipality, you are in the unique position of having experienced years of ANC government, followed by the past year under a DA-led coalition government. You can now compare the two and decide for yourself which works for you.
At the time of last year’s Local Government Elections, when people started talking about the possibility of new coalition governments for some of our closely-contested cities and towns, many said that this would not work. Many of these critics said the coalitions would crumble as the divides between the various parties became clear.
But I’m here today to tell you they were wrong. Because here we are in a municipality run by a DA-led coalition government, and it works. In fact, it works better than any government the towns of Modimolle, Mookgophong and Vaalwater have had before. For the first time in years, things are getting done here.
The critics said that parties like the DA and the EFF had too little in common to possibly find consensus on issues of governance. But what these critics didn’t take into account was the one thing we did have in common: our concern for the people. Because if you can agree on putting the needs of the people above everything else, you can make just about any partnership work.
This council managed to pass its budgets and development plans with no problems, and it wasted no time in getting to work. The list of achievements of the past year alone is longer than we have time for here, but I’d like to mention just a few.
The construction of the Lilian Ngoyi street bridge in Modimolle, which had collapsed five years ago, took this new government only three months to complete.
Many boreholes were drilled in Modimolle, Mookgophong, Vaalwater, Roetan and Alma to provide water to these communities, and a section of the old water pipeline in Mookgophong has been replaced.
The Water Treatment Plant in Vaalwater was fixed and now works for the first time in ten years. The water reservoir we visited here this morning was also built by this new government in just two months.
There have been repairs to roads, to traffic lights, to street lights. In Vaalwater, 400 new houses were built, and in Mookgophong electricity faults were reduced from 200 a month to just 20 per month.
You can often tell whether a government is working by the amount of cooperation it receives from businesses and individuals. And it pleases me to tell you that this coalition government clearly has the trust and support of the local business community. Many of the successful projects such as water tanks, road paint, tarring and even new traffic lights were made possible through donations.
And the hard work has only just begun. The Mayor has informed me of some of her immediate plans for this municipality, and I assure you there is plenty to look forward to. These plans include building another 400 houses in the Modimolle area, connecting 500 houses in Vaalwater Extension 4 to water and replacing further sections of the old water pipelines in both Modimolle and Mookgophong.
She also intends to open a 24-hour customer care line so that residents here can be in constant contact with the municipality on issues that affect them.
My fellow South Africans,
The difference between this new coalition government and the ANC government it replaced is like day and night. But they will be able to do even more for you if you had a ward councillor here in Ward 1 who was working on the same team.
On Wednesday you will have the opportunity to vote for such a councillor. The DA candidate in these by-elections is a man called Eric Aphane – remember his name and remember his face. And when it comes to voting, think about what I told you today. If you think the new coalition government in this municipality is providing you with services you didn’t get from the old ANC government, then I think you know what to do.
This municipality is finally moving in the right direction. You can use your vote to keep making progress here, and to help make this a place of hope and opportunity for all.
 

We’ve come a long way in Drakenstein. Let’s do the same for SA

The following remarks were delivered today by DA Leader, Mmusi Maimane, at a public meeting in Mbekweni, Wellington. This forms part of the Western Cape leg of the DA’s National #Change19 Tour.
My fellow South Africans
I have come to Mbekweni today as part of my Change 19 Tour. We call it the Change 19 Tour because this is where we speak to people across the length and breadth of the country about the change we need to bring about in South Africa.
I think we all agree – our country is desperate for change. Millions of South Africans have been waiting years, even decades, for the freedom that was promised back in 1994. Yes, much has changed since then, but we are nowhere near achieving this economic freedom for all our people yet.
And with every passing day it becomes clearer that the ANC government has no plan for realising this dream. Instead, we are moving backwards as a country. More people are unemployed than ever before. More people live in poverty. Crime is rising. The cost of living is rising. And all we hear from the ANC these days are stories to cover up their corruption.
The ANC might not have a plan, but the DA certainly does. We have a plan to attract job-creating investment to this municipality. We have a plan to open opportunities for the young people of Drakenstein. We have a plan to make the streets of places like Mbekweni safe again. And with every election we win in municipalities and metros across South Africa, we get to implement more and more of this plan.
The DA has been in government here in the Drakenstein municipality for six years now. And in those six years this local government has seen a lot of changes. When it comes to good governance, it is unrecognisable from the Drakenstein that was run by the ANC before 2011.
During the ANC’s last term in office here, the financial management of the Drakenstein municipality was so poor that every single indicator of financial stability was in decline.
Under the ANC, Drakenstein was falling deeper and deeper into debt. Service delivery was stalling and housing projects were blocked. All the money meant for maintaining infrastructure was spent on operating expenses, and service delivery budget was spent on government salaries and perks.
This local government was heading for disaster, and the only thing that saved it was the 2011 local government elections. Because in those elections, the people of Paarl, Mbekweni, Wellington, Gouda and Saron said to the ANC: “Enough is enough. You’ve had your chance.”
By voting for a DA government in 2011, the people of Drakenstein took it upon themselves to save this municipality from financial disaster. They took their future in their own hands.
The DA has been taking over metros and towns from the ANC for many years now – Cape Town back in 2006, and more recently Johannesburg, Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay. In all these places we discovered massive hidden debt, widespread corruption and a very poor understanding of how to look after the people’s money. Drakenstein was no different.
But in the six years the DA has been in charge of Drakenstein, we have taken it from a municipality on the brink of financial disaster to one of the best-run local governments in the country. It has just received its third clean audit and it was named by National Treasury, along with Stellenbosch, as the best performing municipality in South Africa when it comes to financial management.
What this means for communities like yours is that all public money is spent on the people. None of it finds its way into the pockets and bank accounts of government officials and their crooked friends, as we see happening so often in ANC-run governments.
The DA government here in Drakenstein has gone to extraordinary lengths to make sure that fraud and corruption have no place in this municipality. From a special fraud risk management unit to a fraud prevention hotline, the safeguarding of the people’s money so that it can be spent on the things that really matter is a top priority.
And one of the things that matters most is access to housing. Since coming into office, the DA has unblocked all the housing projects that had stalled under the ANC. One by one, dormant projects like Drommedaris, Kingston, White City, Fairyland, Siyahlala and Lantana were revived.
Over the past five years, more than 2100 houses have been handed over to beneficiaries in the Drakenstein municipality. This is a direct result of spending the people’s money where it matters.
This is also why the DA is now able to upgrade the waste water works, re-seal the roads here and electrify hundreds of informal structures.
It is why the DA is able to implement a drought plan for the municipality, which includes drilling boreholes and limiting water losses through effective maintenance.
It all comes down to putting the needs of the people first. And the only thing still holding us back here is the scope of our influence. In other words, as a local government, there is only so much we can do. If we really want to bring about the type of change you are so desperately waiting for, we have to do so as a national government.
Because to truly change the lives of those who live in poverty we must make the kind of changes only a national government can make. We must grow the economy by attracting investors and supporting businesses so that we can create the jobs so many of you need.
More jobs don’t only mean more breadwinners in the home. It also means less crime, less drugs and fewer gangs in your community. It means that a place like Mbekweni can become a place of safety and a place of hope.
My fellow South Africans,
I know life is still far from perfect here in Mbekweni. I know what drugs and gangs do to a community like yours. I know how hopeless it can seem for young people who can’t find jobs. I know that poverty and unemployment are preventing many of you from tasting that freedom that was promised in 1994.
But I assure you that the DA has a plan to change all of that. We have a plan to get South Africa working again – to get the sons and daughters of Mbekweni working again. And we can only do this with your help.
Lend us your vote in 2019 and help us build the kind of South Africa that benefits everyone who lives here. A South Africa full of hope and opportunity for all.

A caring government will not let sewage run through your homes.

The following remarks were delivered today by the DA Leader during a public meeting in Kathu, Northern Cape. This forms part of the National #Change19 Tour. The Leader was joined by the Northern Cape Provincial Leader, Andrew Louw
My fellow South Africans,
Thank you for coming out to meet me today. And thank you for welcoming me into your homes and your warm and friendly community.
I love this part of the world, but I also know a community like yours could be so much more if some important changes took place here. And so I’d like to speak to today you about some of the things you should be getting from your government, but aren’t.
You can tell a lot about a government by what they do when it’s not election time. By what happens in between elections, when they are no longer that desperate for your vote.
And what I’m seeing in Kathu, and particularly here in Mapoteng, points to a government that does not care about you at all once they have your vote in their back pocket. Because a caring government would not let their people live in filth.
A caring government would not let raw sewage run down your streets and in between your homes where your children play. A government that truly cared for you would not allow this to go on for days without doing anything about it, let alone the months, even years, that you’ve had to put up with it.
A caring government would not bury its head in the sand and hope the problem gets solved by someone else.
No, my fellow South Africans, a government that cared about you would make it their business to look after you. They would make it their business to ensure that you don’t have to live in conditions that they wouldn’t be prepared to live in.
The problem is, the ANC government cares about a lot of things, just not about you. They care about making money, about protecting the corrupt, about staying in power. But they don’t care about the basics of good governance.
The problems with the continuous sewage spills here in Mapoteng aren’t because of complex, unfixable issues. These problems aren’t because of sabotage or even lack of budget. They are simply problems of poor governance.
Every piece of equipment used to deliver services needs to be maintained. All equipment needs to be checked for wear and tear, and any old or broken parts need to be replaced. And that goes for these sewage reservoirs too.
The sensors in these reservoirs that are meant to prevent overflows should have been replaced as soon as they failed. But, like almost everything in this town, it was simply ignored by this ANC government.
I am told, following relentless pressure from the DA, they have gone out and bought seven new sensors for these reservoirs. But even these seven new sensors won’t solve the problem, as there are up to twenty that need replacing. And of course, in true ANC style, they have completely overpaid their connected “preferred suppliers”, which means they don’t have the budget for the rest.
Unfortunately this is how this ANC government responds to a crisis. They ignore it for years, and when they cannot possibly ignore it any longer, they make a weak attempt at fixing the bare minimum while making a few cadres rich along the way. Then you don’t see them again while your streets run thick with sewage.
The same goes for the water supply issues across large parts of Kathu. The many, many burst pipes aren’t going to fix themselves. But the ANC government seem to think they will, because they certainly aren’t doing anything about it.
My fellow South Africans, no one should live like this. Things must change for you here in Mapoteng. But I can assure you nothing will change unless you make it happen.
The first step is to ensure that Ward 7 here in Mapoteng remains a DA ward in the upcoming by-election on 20 September. The DA won it in last year’s municipal election by a very small margin, and it would be a huge setback for your community if it were to return to the ANC.
But the big change you need to make is in two years’ time in the 2019 national and provincial elections. Because then many of you are going to have to do something you have never done before: You are going to have to turn your back on the ANC and vote for a new government.
The change you need will not happen within the ANC. The rot of corruption and enrichment has spread too far and wide already. Change will have to come from outside the ANC, and you are the only people who can make this happen.
Each of you has, in your vote, the power to decide what path our country takes, and what future a place like Mapoteng has. And in 2019 you are going to have to lend your vote to the DA, or face another five years of this – of sewage running through your homes, of taps running dry and of your government dodging all their responsibilities to you.
And take note: I said “lend” your vote, not give your vote. Because no one should pledge their support forever. If the DA should disappoint you, then you must take your vote back again, because that is how this democracy is meant to work.
But first give us that one chance. I assure you we will work very hard to repay your trust.
Thank you.

The DA will build a brighter future for the young people of Upington

The following remarks were delivered today by the DA Leader during a public meeting in Upington, Northern Cape. This forms part of the National #Change19 Tour. The Leader was joined by the Northern Cape Provincial Leader, Andrew Louw.
Fellow Democrats,
My fellow South Africans
Thank you for welcoming me into your community. Today I am here in Upington as part of my Change19 tour. I’ve been travelling across the country, speaking to South Africans from all walks of life about how we can start moving South Africa forward again in 2019.
I want to start by offering my deepest condolences to the family of the ANC councillor here who died of a stroke recently. I have heard that her son may very well be here in the audience today. To him, I say: you have my heartfelt sympathy – you have suffered a great personal tragedy.
I have also heard that this son has recently become a DA activist. So to him, I would also like to say a very warm welcome. The ANC is your past, and I hope the DA will be your future. I’m guessing that this young man has already worked out for himself the very message that I came here today to deliver to your community: the DA is SA’s greatest hope for the future. We can make SA a country where young people can realise their full potential.
Right now, the ANC government is delivering blow after blow to your future prospects. Just this week, we’ve learnt that Eskom’s Chief Financial Officer, Anoj Singh, gifted R1.5 billion to the Zuma and Gupta families through the dirty Tegeta deal. Instead of a jail sentence, Eskom is giving him a R1.8 million bonus.
Believe me, you are the real victims of this corruption and state capture. Because corruption and state capture kills jobs. This is why electricity is so expensive in South Africa, and this is one of the key reasons our economy is shrinking.
Fellow South Africans, after 25 years – a quarter century – of ANC government, our country is crying out for change. There is an old saying: a new broom sweeps clean. Well, South African is ready for a new broom. We’re ready for a fresh start. When the ANC came into government in 1994, they were the new broom. And in the beginning, they did sweep clean. But now they’ve become complacent, arrogant, corrupt and captured. And as a result, we see decay all around us.
There’s physical decay – you can see it right here in your community – houses and buildings and streetlights and parks that need maintenance but aren’t getting it.
And then there’s moral decay – which creeps into a community when young people don’t have the opportunities they need to make the most of their lives. The youth of Upington should be in jobs, or training, or starting their own businesses – excited about the future. Instead, many have turned to drugs, crime and prostitution.
If we don’t arrest this decay, what will be left for the next generation?
Drugs, crime and prostitution are not the cause of our problems. They are the effect. The real problem is unemployment, and the real reason for it is that the ANC government doesn’t know and doesn’t care about how to get our young people working. Under the ANC government, most people think that the only way to get a job is to work for the council. But the council can never provide as many jobs as we need, and so we have the problems you see all around you today.
The fact is, the best way to get a job is to make one for yourself by starting a small business. Or else to work in someone else’s business. Because when it comes to private business, the sky is the limit. The potential for job creation is endless. You just need the right conditions. And that is where the DA comes in. A DA government here in Upington will create the conditions for young people to thrive – because we’ll create the conditions for small businesses to thrive. Let me give you two examples.
Under a DA government, Eskom’s role will be to keep electricity prices as low as possible, making it more affordable for people to start and run small businesses.
Another key ingredient for job creation is mentoring. Where the DA governs, we’re opening up Youth Cafes in communities such as yours. At these Youth Cafes, young people can get help and advice with starting their own business or finding jobs. They can access opportunities for skills and leadership training, including in project management, creative design and life skills – as well as the internet, for job seeking.
Under these kind of conditions, the economy here in Upington, and in SA as a whole, will thrive. Under a DA government, young people will have new hope for the future. Fellow South African, it’s time for change, and that change must come in 2019.

Hands off the Treasury: Gupta-puppet Malusi Gigaba must resign!

The following speech was delivered today by DA Leader, Mmusi Maimane, at a protest outside the National Treasury Headquarters in Pretoria. The Leader was joined by Tshwane Mayor, Solly Msimanga, DA National Spokesperson, Refiloe Nt’sekhe, and DA Gauteng Leader, John Moodey.
Today we are gathered here outside the headquarters of National Treasury to send a clear message to Jacob Zuma, his ANC, and the Guptas: keep your hands off of Treasury and the people’s money!
We are here to demand that the keys to Treasury be taken back from the Guptas and be given to the people of South Africa so that our money can be spent on improving the lives of all in our nation – not just the connected few.
Fellow Democrats,
Treasury is by far the most important government department in the entire country. It is responsible for managing the country’s money – our entire R1.4 trillion national budget.
Treasury decides as to how our country’s money is spent on the people – such as building houses, roads, schools, hospitals, and creating jobs.
There are thousands of good and honest employees of Treasury who work tirelessly to ensure the right amount of money is spent, by the appropriate government departments, on the needs of our people and our country. We salute you!
We are currently in a fight for the future of South Africa. This fight is between those who are benefiting from the current corrupt system and those who believe we need to change this corrupt system totally.
I am in the latter group, and there are millions of South Africans who are standing with us.
Most patriotic South Africans inside the Treasury are doing what is right and honest, despite the enormous pressure they face. They are heroes.
Keep doing what is right and you will have the respect and support of the nation!
In the right hands and under the right leadership, Treasury has the ability to change the lives of South Africans and to allocate resources to building a better, brighter and more prosperous nation.
However, the Treasury is under siege.
Just over 100 days ago, Malusi Gigaba was appointed Minister of Finance, after Jacob Zuma swiftly fired Pravin Gordhan as he refused to allow the Guptas control over the people’s money.
It has been a long standing desire of Jacob Zuma and the Guptas to take full control of the Treasury, in order to control the flow of all public money.
That’s why back in 2014, the Guptas and Zuma planned to fire then-Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene, and replace him the ultimate “yes man” – the unknown Des Van Rooyen.
From the outset, Pravin Gordhan made it clear he was no one’s puppet. And this meant less stealing and corruption for Zuma and his cronies.
With their initial plan having failed – and costing the country’s economy billions of Rands in the process – the Guptas and Zuma resorted to “Plan B”: fire Pravin Gordhan and replace him with a proven loyalist: Malusi Gigaba.
And just over 100 days ago, Zuma and the Guptas carried out this plan. Malusi Gigaba was appointed Minister of Finance with a mandate from Saxonwold.
There was no explanation for the firing of Minister Gordhan and his Deputy, Mcebisi Jonas, other than to make way for a Gupta yes-man in Malusi Gigaba. Which is why the DA challenged this decision in court.
We asked the court to rule that President Zuma should give us his reasons and a record of his decision for firing Gordhan and Jonas, which it did. But, predictably, President Zuma missed the deadline, deciding to appeal the court decision instead. He is just playing for time, but he will not get away with it.
Fellow Democrats,
There is no question where Malusi Gigaba stands in the fight to change this corrupt system. Since 2010, when he was first appointed as a Minister in the Cabinet, Gigaba has been doing the Gupta’s bidding.
During Gigaba’s spell as Public Enterprises Minister, his main job was to capture our country’s State Owned Entities (SOEs) for the sole benefit of the Guptas. He appointed to the boards of Eskom, Denel, Prasa, and Transnet, individuals who have been shown to be closely associated with the Gupta family. These include Brian Molefe, Anoj Singh, Iqbal Sharma, Nazia Carrim, Romeo Khumalo, Mark Pamensky, Marriam Cassim, Ben Ngubane, Kuben Moodley, and Viroshni Naidoo.
This allowed Gupta-owned companies to control those SOEs and to secure many lucrative deals, ensuring the Guptas and the Zumas become rich, and the people of South Africa stay poor.
After he had shown his loyalty to the Guptas, Gigaba was moved to Home Affairs, were as Minister he rolled out the red carpet for Guptas friends, employees, business partners to easily gain citizenship and access to the country.
Gigaba fast-tracked dozens of visas to benefit Gupta businesses as they moved employees, associates and family members between South Africa, India and Dubai. And when the Guptas themselves were denied South African citizenship, guess who make sure it was granted under “exceptional circumstances” – Minister Gigupta!
This Gupta ally is now in charge of all our country’s money. We must stand united against the capture of our Treasury.
Fellow South Africans,
We cannot allow our country’s budget to be crafted at Saxonwold.
The budget is meant to be spent on developing our country, not developing Zuma’s new Dubai mansion.
It is unfair that the ANC has created a system which keeps ordinary people stuck, while only the ANC and people with connections get ahead.
What’s more is that in the three months Gigaba has been at the helm, we have seen our economy tumble. We have now been officially downgraded to “junk” status, and our unemployment rate is at a record 14-year high of 27.7%.
What is clear is that Malusi Gigaba is bad for our economy and our country, and good for the Guptas. As a Gupta appointee, we cannot allow him to be in charge of our country’s finances, and its jobs plan to create work for the 9.3 million unemployed South Africans.
We are therefore here to hand over a memorandum demanding that Malusi Gigaba resigns as Minister of Finance Minister immediately, so that we remove the hands of the Guptas from our Treasury and our money.
The DA will continue to fight tirelessly, through every mechanism possible, to free our institutions and our governments from State Capture and corruption.

The DA will continue fighting to keep Madiba’s dream alive

Note to Editors: The following remarks were delivered today by DA Leader, Mmusi Maimane at Tumelo Home for the Mentally Handicapped in Ivory Park, Johannesburg, where he spent 67 minutes assisting with renovation projects and helping to care for the children. The Leader was joined by DA Shadow Minister of Health, Patricia Kopane.
Today, all across the world, millions of people are honouring the memory of South Africa’s first democratically elected President, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.
The father of our nation – who would have turned 99 today – is fondly remembered for his selfless leadership, his compassion, and his unwavering commitment to reconciliation in our nation, by leading South Africa’s remarkable transition from apartheid to democracy.
As we celebrate Mandela Day today, we must all reaffirm our mission for a reconciled South Africa, working together to build a movement towards a peaceful, prosperous, and safe South Africa.
Throughout his life, Mandela dedicated all his strength to building a better South Africa for all – Black, White, Gay, Straight, Muslim, Jewish, rich, and poor.
A nation in which you are judged not by the colour of your skin, but by the content of your character. A nation where freedom, dignity and reconciliation are not just talked about, but relentlessly pursued.
Although Tata Madiba is not with us anymore, his legacy and his dream for South Africa lives on, and endures from generation to generation.
Today I join millions of South Africans in “paying it forward” in Madiba’s honour. I spent my 67 minutes here at Tumelo Home for the Mentally Challenged, an NPO committed to caring for one of the most vulnerable groups in our society.
It is truly refreshing to see that amongst all the adversity, division and turmoil our country faces, there are many goodhearted South Africans who are committed to serving those less fortunate than themselves.
As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members”. From what I have witnessed today, the employees and volunteers here at Tumelo Home are determined to do their part in building a caring society and a caring South Africa.
I am humbled by the efforts of those at Tumelo Home, and every other South Africa who is helping to realise Madiba’s dream of changing people’s lives for the better.
While Madiba worked his entire life for the dream of a reconciled and prosperous South Africa, he never saw his dream come to fruition. Instead he passed the baton on to us – ordinary South Africans – to continue to fight for the future we all deserve.  It is our responsibility to follow his example, because South Africa and its people can only rise when we build together, towards a future that belongs to every person who calls South Africa home. Our service to our communities and to our nation should not only happen for 67 minutes once a year.
Indeed, Nelson Mandela’s vision of a reconciled, prosperous and non-racial South Africa must still motivate us to work towards its achievement. And it is this vision for our country that I will pursue every day.
In fulfilling Madiba’s vision we need to ensure that we accelerate redress and continue on the path of reconciliation.
And – crucially – we must build a strong, thriving and inclusive economy, without which we will never address the injustices of our past.
This is what we are working for and working towards. And while Madiba’s values and vision have increasingly come under threat, we will continue to champion them.
Amid the tragedies of Marikana and Esidimeni, the injustice of Nkandla, the social grants crisis, the economic collapse and the rot of corruption and state capture – we will continue to fight for Madiba’s vision and protect the values he embodied and enshrined in the Constitution.
Come 2019, DA-led government will enter the Union Buildings at the heart of a government infused with and motivated by Madiba’s dream of a united, non-racial and prosperous South Africa for all who live in it – regardless of race, creed, colour, religion or ethnicity.
Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika! Let us live and strive for freedom in South Africa our land!

Vrede Dairy Farm: We will seek justice for those robbed by the ANC, Guptas

Note to Editors: the following remarks were made today by DA Leader, Mmusi Maimane, outside the Estina dairy Farm in Vrede, Free State.
Today we are joined by the rightful intended beneficiaries of this project. Daily now we see the faces of the Guptas and Jacob Zuma in the news. But we never see the faces and hear the stories of the direct victims of these schemes. But here with us today are the most direct victims of the corruption and theft of our country’s resources by a small political elite – led by the Guptas and Jacob Zuma.
I stand here today with the residents of the town of Vrede – ordinary South Africans who should have been the direct beneficiaries of this large scale dairy farm which was supposed to fill the fields and the land directly behind us. Today I stand in solidarity with these South Africans, who face the real consequences of state capture by Zuma’s ANC and the Gupta dynasty.
The farm behind us was established in 2013 by the Free State Government, and was set to empower local residents and boost provincial agriculture through the establishment of a large scale dairy farm. The community based project, which targeted 80 intended local beneficiaries, was a joint private-public project between the Free State Department of Agriculture and Gupta-controlled Company, Estina. And that’s when it became clear the project wasn’t about the community of Vrede. It was about the pockets of the Guptas.
From the outset, this project was about self-enrichment. It appeared to be the idea of Mosebenzi Zwane – then MEC of Agriculture – who hails from Vrede. Coincidently, it was put into motion in early 2013 – just months after Zwane and officials from the Free State Department of Agriculture enjoyed a Gupta-funded trip to India in October 2012. This trip included multiple stays at Oberoi Hotels in India and a dinner at the Guptas’ house.
What followed was a clearly corrupt process leading to the Gupta-controlled company Estina “winning” the tender. Following extensive investigations, including one by the National Treasury, we now know that the awarding of the contract to Estina failed to follow many standard practices. These include:

  • The Free State Government failing to follow supply chain procedure when they agreed to fund the project;
  • The absence of any sort of due diligence carried out on Estina or its partnership with Indian Dairy Company, Paras;
  • Funds being deposited directly into Estina’s bank accounts without any verification process as to where the money was being sent; and
  • Estina has been given an upfront amount of R183 950 000 for infrastructure development of the farm without a single cent of their own investment.

The Gupta-controlled Estina still sits with R184 million of public money while the beneficiaries are left penniless. The only beneficiaries have been the Guptas and their ANC stooges. The Guptas ended up funneling money out of the company to launder through their UAE shell corporations, and then bounce back to South African Companies. Much of the money was used to pay for their Sun City wedding.
Some of the beneficiaries have been reported to have sold off their own livestock in anticipation of their participation in this project, but have received no dairy cows. They have told me of their pain and anxiety in waiting for a promise that is clearly never coming. It never was coming. Sadly, it was a lie from the beginning.
Their stories are our stories. We are all being robbed by a captured ANC who have in turn captured the state.
I am here today to tell the people of Vrede that the DA will not stop until justice is served for those who were meant to benefit from this project. And this fight doesn’t start today, it’s been ongoing for some time.
The DA laid a complaint on this matter with the Public Protector, and that report is set to be released in the next 48 hours. I will ensure that those recommendations are implemented without delay, so that those who ought to have benefitted from the Vrede Dairy Farm project are held to account and made to pay for stealing the peoples money.
In addition to this, the DA has taken criminal action against those involved. Last week, DA Shadow Minister of Finance, David Maynier, laid criminal charges against Mosebenzi Zwane, Atul Gupta, Ajay Gupta, Rajesh Gupta, Ronica Ragavan and Kamal Vasram. The charges include:

  • racketeering, money laundering, assisting another to benefit from the proceeds of unlawful activities, and acquiring, possessing or using the proceeds of unlawful activities in terms of the Prevention of Organized Crime Act (No. 121 of 1998); and
  • submitting false, or untrue, tax returns in terms of the Tax Administration Act (No. 28 of 2011).

We will closely monitor the process regarding these charges, and ensure that those who stole money and broke the law are put behind bars. In addition to this, we believe that crimes may have been committed in those other countries through which this money was laundered, particularly the United Arab Emirates. We will therefore be exploring criminal charges against the Guptas in the UAE for money laundering. We believe every possible avenue must be pursued to recover as much of this money as possible for the benefit of the people of Vrede.
I will also be writing to an array of international corruption watchdogs tasked with investigating cross border money laundering, including the Financial Action Task Force, the Financial Intelligence Centre, and the IMF’s Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism Unit, requesting that they launching investigations into this matter.
And lastly, I believe that the intended beneficiaries – who have been forgotten – deserve a voice, and deserve an explanation from those who were involved in profiting at their expense. I have therefore approached Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture, requesting a full public hearing into this matter. Most importantly, we will make sure that these beneficiaries come to Cape Town to testify in Parliament and tell their story to the public hearings. The DA will cover the full cost of this trip.
I have also requested that the Chairperson of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Themba Godi, summon the former Free State MEC of Agriculture, Mosebenzi Zwane, the Premier of the Free State, Ace Magashule, and the current Free State MEC of Agriculture, Oupa Khoabane, and any other implicated individuals to appear before the committee.
Parliament must represent the people, and therefore the Chairperson of the Agriculture Committee must ensure that Parliament’s Constitutional mandate is fulfilled, and these residents be heard are given a voice and a public platform.
Those who steal from the people of South Africa belong in prison, not in power. The DA will continue to do all in its power to hold those in power to account, and seek justice for South Africans – especially the poor and the disadvantaged.

Where the DA governs, young people have hope for the future

Note to editors: The following remarks were made today by DA leader, Mmusi Maimane, in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, as part of the Western Cape leg of the #Change19 Tour.
Fellow South Africans,
Today we are here in Mitchells Plain to see how the DA is already delivering opportunities for young people where we are in government, and how we can do the same nationally in 2019. We are delivering economic growth, job creation, lower unemployment, skills training, loans for start up entrepreneurs — all of this we are delivering already! Imagine how we can expand on this record if we are elected to govern in 2019.
In the DA, we are focused on growing the economy and creating jobs for young people. For us, it is not about looting, or corruption, or “baantjies vir boeties” – it is about expanding opportunities for more people, especially the youth.
I am proud of the project we are here to see today. It is the very best of the DA in action. It is a model of the future when the DA governs nationally.
Just last month, this new ‘Youth Café’ was opened up here in Mitchells Plain. This Youth Café is offering young people opportunities for entrepreneurial, leadership and other skills training, including internet access for job seekers or entrepreneurs.
Youth Cafés are a project of the DA government in the Western Cape, and they are aimed at expanding opportunities for our “NEETs” generation, namely young people ‘not in employment, education or training’. There are already 7 Youth Cafés across the province, with at least 2 more being launched before the end of the year.
The Youth Café here in Mitchells Plain provides young people internet access and computer access to budding entrepreneurs and aspirant job-seekers. It also offers short courses in Digital Training, Work Ethics, Business Entrepreneurship, Life Skills Sessions, Creative Design, Event Management, Leadership Training, and Project Management.
Last month the DA government in Cape Town announced that it will now offer free public transport to job seekers. The DA-led government in Tshwane has already matched this commitment with their own subsidy programme for cheaper public transport for job seekers. This is a big help to those looking for work, who need to use public transport to get to job interviews. In this economy, finding a job can take a long time and many interviews. Now young people in DA governments know that we are helping them make their job search easier and cheaper.
This is the DA in action. Where we govern, we focus on economic growth and jobs – especially for the youth. And we will do whatever it takes for them to have better opportunities in life.
We are not sitting back and moaning about the broken economy — broken by corruption and state capture. We are doing what we can where we govern to grow the economy and help South Africa out of recession. We know there is no good reason that we should be in recession in the first place.
Similarly, we are getting to work fixing public education where we govern. That is why, since the DA took over in the Western Cape in 2009, the matric pass rate in the province’s poorest schools increased from 57% to over 70%
We are tackling gangs and drugs, even though we do not control the police – we are doing so because we must beat drugs if the youth are to have any chance. We are helping entrepreneurs, despite having only a tiny fraction of the funds available to national government. We are cleaning up corruption – there is no Nkandla or state capture where the DA governs.
That is the DA difference! It doesn’t mean it is all perfect. Of course not. There is a long way to go.
As long as gangsterism, drugs, and unemployment are defining the future for our young people, we will never be satisfied. No mother wants her young son to join a gang, become addicted to drugs, or live a life of violence. Yet that is the reality for many families across our nation.
As parents, we want only the best for our children. The key choice is this. There is only one party working for the best of our children. That is the DA. And there is another party that is actively working against our children’s futures.  For the ANC, it’s only young people who are connected that go far. It’s only the Duduzane Zumas of South Africa who live lives of luxury, while the majority of ordinary young people are locked out of opportunity.
In 2019, we can choose a different future.
Where the DA governs, you see the lowest unemployment rate in South Africa.
We are committed to helping the youth build the life they want.
That is why the DA government in this province has allocated R15.6 billion to youth opportunities, ranging from apprenticeships and bursaries, to school holiday programmes and child development centres.
And the community of Mitchells Plain is seeing this investment in its youth first hand.
Our youth deserve much better. That is what the DA is delivering now, and that is what the DA will deliver in national government. We will free young South Africans to build the life they want, to work and earn a living, to be owners of wealth and capital, to climb the ladder of opportunity, and to succeed.