Dear Editor
The Minister of Defence, Thandi Modise, should not be “applying her mind” to the highly irregular and potentially illegal request for financial assistance that was submitted to the Department of Defense by the former Speaker of the National Assembly, Nosiviwe Mapisa Nqakula, to cover legal costs in her corruption trial.
Should Modise accede to the request, the DA will not hesitate to take action to have it reviewed and set aside. There is absolutely nothing that entitles Mapisa-Nqakula to financial support for her corruption trial from the Department of Defence and any steps taken to authorise this will be wasteful expenditure and abuse of taxpayer money.
Mapisa-Nqakula’s implied position that the alleged crimes were committed during her tenure as the Minister of Defence and therefore the taxpayer should foot her legal bills, is perhaps the most ridiculous entitlement that has become the hallmark of the ANC’s deployed cadres. From Jacob Zuma, Busisiwe Mkhwebane to Hlaudi Motsoeneng – taxpayers have been forced to pay tens of millions of rand to cover legal costs for private lawyers.
Mapisa-Nqakula is being charged in her personal capacity for alleged acts of corruption and should therefore not be seeking legal aid from the public purse that she contemptuously abused in the commission of the alleged crimes.
In addition to rejecting Mapisa-Nqakula’s request, Modise should suspend the Head of Legal Services in the SANDF, Major General Eric Mnisi, pending a disciplinary hearing, for clandestinely processing the request without seeking approval first. Mnisi abused his position as an accounting officer and should be held fully accountable for the serious offence of breach of trust.
The abuse of state resources for personal gain has been a recurring theme within the corrupt ANC government. Mapisa-Nqakula is desperate to continue with that despicable practice and the DA stands ready to ensure that she does not succeed.
Regards
Kobus Marais MP
DA Shadow Minister of Defence
dancing madman
China: You have two cows. You post their pics all over social media, then sell people fake milk.
Mosquit-No
Interview with a pirate:
There was a pirate who had agreed to do an interview with a local tv station. The reporter was very courteous and professional, giving a bit of background as to the pirate\’s business. She then began interviewing him.
\”So Mr. Longbeard, are there any risks to your business? I see you have a peg leg- how did that come about?\”
\”Well, y\’see I were sailing along the coast of South Africa, looking to plunder some locals when as I boarded the small boat from the ship, a great white shark came up and got my leg clean off. \’twas scary yes, but thus is the life of a pirate.\”
\”Wow, that is pretty scary- well, how about your hook? What happened to your hand with that?\”
\”Oh now that\’s quite the tale, y\’see I were fighting a rival pirate, and we had locked swords. We had been fighting for a few hours, and were both terribly fatigued. I had a bit of exhaustion and confusion, and when I went to block one of his sword blows, I met him with me hand instead of me sword. Took it right off, but it shocked him so much I managed to get him back pretty good and have him submit. So the hook hand was given as a replacement.\”
\”Wow. Simply fascinating. Now, what about your eye patch? How did that happen?\”
\”Well, one day, a seagull was flying overhead, and I looked up. It pooped right in me eye.\”
\”… Well wow. I must admit, I wouldn\’t think just seagull poop could damage the eye that badly.\”
\”Oh, I forgot to mention… it were me first day with the hook.\”