Johannesburg - The DA in Gauteng has intensified its call for the removal of David Makhura as Premier claiming that the first citizen is implicated in a number of personal protective equipment (PPE) corruption scandals.
After submitting a motion of no confidence against Makhura on Friday, the DA has now urged the Gauteng provincial legislature’s Speaker Ntombi Mekgwe to convene an urgent sitting of the legislature to debate the motion.
DA’s chief whip Mike Moriarty said his party was calling for the immediate removal of Premier Makhura because he “has been implicated in a number of PPE corruption scandals.”
“If this province is serious about the delivery of services to its residents in a clear and transparent manner, the Speaker of the GPL will adhere to the DA’s call for a special sitting to be held.
“It cannot be business as usual when the public purse has been looted by government officials and when tenders for the supply of goods and services is not done in an open and transparent manner.
“The DA cannot allow a Premier who has been implicated in corruption to continue to hold office any longer and he needs to be removed immediately.
“The same vigour that was applied to the dismissal of MEC Masuku for his involvement in corruption must be applied to Premier Makhura,” Moriarty said.
Makhura has denied the allegations against him.
He has also asked the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) to investigate claims made by the former chief financial officer of Gauteng Health Kabelo Lehloenya that she had received instructions from the office of the Premier, office of the former Health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku and from the former head of department Professor Mkhululi Lukhele to allegedly award PPE tenders to certain companies of their choice.
“I will not allow lies and an orchestrated smear campaign to tarnish my name. For quite a while, I have been aware of an orchestrated campaign to tarnish my name with the ultimate objective to remove me from the Gauteng political scene. It is quite clear that I have become an obstacle to the realisation of certain political ambitions and business agendas.
“I can confidently say that smear campaigns and the lies underpinning them will not succeed because the truth is more powerful and stubborn than political trickery.
“I seek no other relief than to free the truth from the flame of lies being fanned,” Makhura said.
Political Bureau