ActionSA President Herman Mashaba has written to the African National Congress (ANC), Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) leaders daring them to undergo voluntary lifestyle audits within 14 days.
"I am challenging the leaders of the four largest political parties represented in Parliament to undergo public lifestyle audits ahead of the 2024 national elections.
“As the leader of ActionSA, a party committed to ethical leadership, I have long volunteered to undergo a lifestyle audit alongside the leaders of the ANC, EFF, DA and IFP," he said
.@Action4SA President @HermanMashaba has availed himself to undergo a public lifestyle audit and challenged the leaders of the ANC, DA, IFP and EFF.
— Michael Beaumont (@ME_Beaumont) April 15, 2024
Political Leaders can never win the fight against corruption if they refuse to open their own books and prove they are clean. pic.twitter.com/TKId2VdDYq
Mashaba wished for the audits to be published for public scrutiny.
He said this was to avoid a situation where after the May 29 elections, political leaders use state resources to their benefit by covering their larger-than-life expenses.
According to Mashaba, an acclaimed independent forensics expert Paul O'Sullivan has already agreed to conduct these lifestyle audits at an approximate cost of R5,000 to R10,000, which his party has offered to pay for.
"O'Sullivan furthermore has a long track record of independence and investigation, helping to unearth the corruption of former police commissioner Jackie Selebi, and any political leader seeking to represent the South African people would therefore accept the offer to clear their name," he said.
This is as political leaders are accused of being involved in possible corrupt activities, with President Cyril Ramaphosa's Phala Phala Farmgate saga under scrutiny.
"If a country is plagued by trust deficit between political leaders and citizens, and high levels of moral decay and corruption," Mashaba said, adding that his party will find a way to rebuild trust and give hope to South Africans.
He said that citizens should be given the opportunity to vote for political leaders who are free from any corruption allegations and above reproach.
He believed that an asset and income, and a lifestyle audit will provide clarity as to whether voters need to be concerned.
Mashaba maintained that any political leader seeking to represent the country should be willing to show voters whether they have anything to hide.
He said his party was not only talking about ethical leadership but was ready to show it through their actions.
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