President Jacob Zuma needs to allay fears the country is fast becoming a “corruption-ridden banana republic”, trade union federation Cosatu said yesterday.
“Allegations of corruption and the misuse of public funds are piling up,” Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) spokesman Patrick Craven said in a statement yesterday.
“While we welcome the probes being made by (the cabinet) ministers like Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale, the president needs to allay fears that… we are sinking into a corruption-ridden banana republic,” Craven said.
Cosatu welcomed Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s recommendations for Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa to discipline national police chief Bheki Cele for his role in securing two building leases.
It also welcomed Madonsela’s recommendation for Zuma to take action against Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde for failing to co-operate with the investigation into the two building leases, as well as her role in ensuring the leases were signed off.
Cosatu wanted to know why ministers accused of serious offences did not follow their consciences and resign while the charges were investigated, rather than wait until they were dismissed.
Craven said Cosatu had previously called on Zuma to either assure the country that reports of gross misuse of public funds by Co-operative Governance Minister Sicelo Shiceka were untrue, or dismiss him.
He said the union federation was still awaiting a response from Zuma on how State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele was unaware that his wife Sheryl was involved in drug smuggling.
“We hope that he will now swiftly respond to these questions and to the Public Protector’s reports on the SAPS deals,” Craven said. – Sapa