Media casts ‘dark cloud’ over Mandela funeral

A woman looks through a window during a memorial service for late former president Nelson Mandela organized by the African National Congress (ANC) in Mthatha, Eastern Cape. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola

A woman looks through a window during a memorial service for late former president Nelson Mandela organized by the African National Congress (ANC) in Mthatha, Eastern Cape. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola

Published Jul 18, 2014

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Mthatha - The media continues to “cast a dark cloud” over how the Eastern Cape leadership carried out the funeral of former president Nelson Mandela, the office of premier Phumulo Masualle said on Friday.

“Sadly, even on this day, despite the effort made by provincial government to clarify the issues based on information at our disposal, some sections of the media continue to cast a dark cloud over the manner in which... we worked to give Tata Madiba a dignified funeral,” he said in a statement.

“As we all know, government, the law enforcement agencies and the courts are working to apply the full might of the law on any unscrupulous elements in our midst who might have taken advantage of government resources that were associated with Madiba's funeral.”

On Friday, the Mail & Guardian reported that the Hawks were investigating how R250 000 appeared in Masualle's bank account around the time of Mandela's funeral in mid-December.

Mandela died at his home in Houghton on December 5, at the age of 95.

The newspaper reported that Public Protector Thuli Madonsela was investigating allegations of maladministration, corruption and the use of public funds by the OR Tambo, King Sabata Dalindyebo and Buffalo City municipalities.

They allegedly spent nearly R65 million to pay service providers for Mandela's funeral without following proper procurement procedures.

On Wednesday, the Democratic Alliance said it had raised questions about Masualle's personal bank account in the Eastern Cape legislature, but on two occasions its questions were blocked.

Sapa

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