MyZA

News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff

You are here: Home / News / Zikalala’s misleading claims on construction mafia arrests

Zikalala’s misleading claims on construction mafia arrests

Dear Editor

The DA has filed a complaint with the Public Protector against the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure for breaching the Executive Ethics Code following a deliberate disinformation campaign in which he sought to mislead the public through false claims that 200 construction mafia related arrests have been made to date. He has not only failed to prove these claims but has tried to bully the DA into silence by demanding that we apologise to him for exposing his lies.

Zikalala has failed to come up with a cogent plan to deal with the menace of construction mafias who have caused severe disruptions at construction sites and unleashed a reign of terror in the construction industry. His response has been to absolve himself from any responsibility and instead tout imaginary arrests to mislead the public.

The Executive Ethics Code enjoins members of the Executive to perform their duties honestly, in good faith and in the interests of good governance. Most importantly, they must ‘act in all respects in a manner that is consistent with the integrity of their office or the government’. The Code makes it clear that members of the Executive should not wilfully mislead or act in a way that is inconsistent with their position.

By deliberately going out of his way to make false claims about 200 construction mafia arrests, Zikalala has not been honest and neither has he acted in good faith or acted in a manner that is consistent with the integrity of the office that he holds. Zikalala is in serious breach of the Code and the Executive Members’ Ethics Act that underpins it, a violation that falls under the purview of the Public Protector and should be investigated for possible sanction.

While Zikalala is busy being economical with the truth, the City of Cape Town – under Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, has taken proactive steps to deal with construction mafia menace. Last week, the Mayor launched a 24-hour hotline to report extortion tackle crimes related to construction projects in the city. The hotline functions on a reward system to encourage residents to help authorities tackle extortion.

Instead of folding and trying to appease criminals in the construction mafia syndicates, like what the ANC is doing in KZN, the DA is the only party that has taken a firm stand against the growing culture of impunity against organised crime in areas where we govern. The DA is a party of the rule of law and we will not allow our governments to be held to ransom by criminals who have been enabled by an ANC government paralysed with criminal capture.

Regards

Sello Seitlholo MP
DA Shadow Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure

Category: Tag:

If you feel strongly about this article then feel free to send MyZA a ‘Letter to the Editor’ using the submission form below:

Letter to the Editor

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
If this is in response to an article please include that article title here or as the lead in for the first paragraph of your Letter below.

Separate tags with commas

Localise your letter by naming the city your words are about. Add relevant words describing your subject. Single comma separated words of no more than 5
Your Name(Required)
Your Name will be linked to the website below.
Your personal, business or social media web site
Choose NO to not set up a user account on MyZA. User Accounts will allow you to submit letters under your own Author Name

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

  • Fun South African fact

    Dear Editor Fun South African fact: towns like Franschhoek and Stellenbosch are home to world-class wine farms set in stunning, scenic surroundings. Regards Aressa Smith In Response to/From: Luxury Properties Seized in New Lottery Crackdown

  • Condolences on the Passing of Lusanda Dumke

    Statement by Leander Kruger MPL – DA Buffalo City Constituency Leader: The Democratic Alliance in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality mourns the passing of Springbok Women’s rugby player and Mdantsane trailblazer, Lusanda Dumke, who lost her battle with cancer at the age of 28. South Africa has lost an exceptional athlete, a leader, and a source…

  • Rape Kits Delivered, But…

    Statement by Nicholas Gotsell MP – DA NCOP Member on Security & Justice: The DA can confirm that 2 840 rape kits arrived in Cape Town on Monday, following sustained DA oversight and pressure after multiple police stations across the Western Cape were found to be without this critical forensic evidence tool. While this delivery…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Voetsek! – Go away! [foot-sak] Usually said with an angry tone when telling someone to go away or get lost. You don’t want to be saying this to a local or worse, if a local says this to you – you’ve really angered them!

  2. Fun South African Fact: The world’s largest themed resort hotel in the world – The Palace of the Lost City – is found in South Africa. Surrounding the Palace is a 25 hectare manmade botanical jungle with almost 2 million plants, trees and shrubs.