DA crushes KZN Zikalala’s PPE report, calls it a ‘weak-kneed whitewash’

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal has rejected Premier Sihle Zikalala’s report on the irregularities in the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), describing it a “weak-kneed attempt to whitewash gross malfeasance.”

Zikalala revealed on Tuesday 21 July that the province had uncovered irregular expenditure amounting to nearly R30 million by the social department in the procurement of COVID-19 PPEs.  

The education department was also probed, but there were adverse findings on its part.

This has raised the ire of the DA in KZN.

THE PPE REPORT LEAVES DA ANGRY

 “The DA’s stance is also on the basis that the findings and explanations do not add up and are in direct contradiction with what the Departmental HOD, Dr Enoch Nzama, told the Education portfolio committee (EPC) in May,”

said DA’s Imraan Keeka, party spokesperson on education.

He said it was “scandalous” that Zikalala decided to peddle such “nonsense” to the public, which he believed added insult to injury.

Keeka said:

“Clearly those responsible for compiling this report must think the people of our province are unintelligent.”

While the report absolved the education department, the DA said:

“The premier would have us believe that a mask that can be bought on a street corner for R10 is suddenly worth R25 after delivery and warehouse charges is simply ridiculous.”

HAND SANITIZERS JUMP FROM R60 TO R180

DA’s Keeka said it was even worse that the premier would want them to accept that a hand sanitizer available at a wholesale price of R60 was now worth a staggering R186 per litre.

“There can be no running away from the fact there was an admission by department of education officials that they paid massively inflated prices. These prices were the maximum prescribed in the National Treasury’s Instruction 5 – the same document that the Premier mentions in his report,”

said Keeka.

THE DA CALLS FOR IMPLICATED OFFICIALS TO BE JAILED

“For the Premier to simply tell us that there was no wrong doing in the procurement of PPE for schools is not enough, particularly when a prima facie look at the matter does not exonerate any one of the Department’s officials.  There can be no acquittal without probing this matter further,”

added Keeka.

He said the DA will continue engaging with the Special Investigative Unit (SIU).

Keek said:

“(We) hope that the lid will be blown off the top of what we regard as a massive profiteering scheme – as has recently been done with the Department’s procurement of sanitary towels, exposing skulduggery.”

He said the DA remained committed to clean governance where it governed and was steadfast in exposing any form of corruption where it  was an opposition. 

CHOOSE WISELY DURING ELECTIONS: DA

“The ANC-led government’s slippery slope when it comes to corruption cannot be ignored by the people of KZN who must use the ballot box wisely and put an end to the crookedness that has become an epidemic,”

charged Keeka.

Zikalala told the media yesterday that action would be taken against the official who were fingered by the forensic report.