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Calls for Saul to deal with corruption

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This follows reports that the adviser to the premier, Norman Shushu’s wife was implicated in a R13 million tender to supply the police with masks.

Nehawu marched to the Office of the Premier to hand over a memorandum during the National Day of Action protest on Thursday. Picture: Danie van der Lith

THE NATIONAL Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) in the Northern Cape has requested Premier Zamani Saul to urgently deal with officials who are linked to alleged corruption, such as the irregular expenditure of government funds and the fraudulent procurement of tenders.

The union was joined in its call by the Young Communist League (YCL) of South Africa, the South African Students Congress (Sasco) and the SACP.

Nehawu marched to the Office of the Premier to hand over a memorandum during the National Day of Action protest on Thursday.

This follows reports that the adviser to the premier, Norman Shushu’s wife was implicated in a R13 million tender to supply the police with masks.

Saul has strongly denied claims that he had a hand in the matter.

The premier said, during the launch of the Online Application System by the provincial Department of Education on Wednesday, that he will not be deterred from fighting corruption and that allegations made against him were just lies to slander his name.

“It is the public service ethics that should guide our conduct not to steal and loot what is meant for the people. We must fight corruption and looting in all its manifestations. In just less than a year we saved this administration millions because of concerted efforts to stop wastage,” said Saul.

Sasco’s Nkosana Jack said the onus fell on Saul to prove his innocence.

“There are workers who were working on the front line and had to pay with their lives to save the lives of our people while others were looting the coffers. The premier has said that he had no role in this matter, however, he needs to prove that he is indeed clean,” Jack said.

According to the SACP’s Tshepo Mogorosi, “an invisible enemy is being used to enrich some of us”.

“This matter of the PPE tender needs to be investigated and cannot be ignored.”

Nehawu added that Saul must not delay the investigation into reported corrupt activities and claimed that he had been “turning a blind eye” to other alleged corrupt activities in his executive.

“The premier needs to deal with those who are involved in corrupt activities. We have been calling on the premier to suspend the provincial head of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, Ruth Palm.”

The union’s provincial secretary, Steffen Cornelius, said Palm was again implicated in alleged irregular expenditure of funds.

“On February 27, 2020 we marched to the Office of the Premier demanding that he acts against the HOD. Saul promised to meet with the union, but we are still waiting.”

Cornelius denied that the union had bridged the Covid-19 regulations on mass gatherings.

“We have adhered to the Covid-19 regulations. We cannot sit and watch criminal activities taking place and not demonstrate our unhappiness,” he said.

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