ANC uses RDP money for Zuma party

There will be no investigation. It's business as usual in the new era of ZUMA which smells a lot like the last one. This is money intended for the poor, but spent on the elite. Aye, This Is Africa.

DA appalled by R2,5m Zuma party allegations

Patricia Kopane MP calls for investigation into claims RDP funds were used to fund party for ANC president

Zuma party scandal: DA calls for Public Protector to investigate

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is appalled by allegations that a party was thrown for President Jacob Zuma using R2.5-million in RDP-designated funds. We believe that the head of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), Fezile Makiwane, who personally approved of this fund transfer, must resign right away unless a plausible explanation is provided for his conduct. I will write tomorrow to the Public Protector asking for an immediate investigation into what appears to be a gross abuse of state funds, as well as to the new Minister of Social Development, Edna Molewa requesting her to clarify what action will be taken to ensure that no similar abuses will be allowed to occur again in future.

It beggars belief that money that was designated to be spent on social development projects, such as paying for chairs, buildings, toilets, generators and wheelchairs required at social grant pay points can be diverted into the funds of a party for the ANC president. It is even more astonishing that it took SASSA only three days to release the money to Mabheleni Ntuli, the Durban-based businessman who apparently then used the funds on the party.

Allegedly a further R1.8-million was raised by Ntuli in a similar way, again from an RDP-designated fund, and again approved personally by Makiwane. This was then apparently used to buy food parcels that were distributed to residents of Zuma's home town of KwaNxamalala. Again, this is money designated for social development that has instead been abused for the purposes of ANC patronage. Mr Makiwane's actions are quite extraordinary, and completely unacceptable.

One of the new minister's first orders of business must be to root out the all too pervasive corruption in the Department of Social Development, if that department is to fulfill its function of caring for the most vulnerable members of our society. We will be watching her very closely to ensure that all necessary remedial action is taken and that money meant for South Africans who are in desperate need of assistance is not wasted on ANC cronies' extravagant needs.

Statement issued by Patricia Kopane, MP, Democratic Alliance shadow cabinet minister of social development, May 18 2009