Centurion Aerospace Village: Minister Davies to account to Parliament
23 September 2015
The DA can confirm that the Minister of Trade and Industry, Rob Davies, will appear before Parliament in the 4th quarter to account for and explain the complete disarray that is unfolding at the paid for yet non-existent Centurion Aerospace Village (CAV).
This comes after today’s sitting of the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, in which the Committee unanimously accepted the DA’s proposal to call the Minister before Committee at the soonest available time.
Last week the DA held a press conference outside the site of the CAV, where my colleague, Patrick Atkinson MP, revealed a forensic report which shows that almost R100 million of public funds was squandered on developing this non-existent aerospace village. All that exists is a vacant plot of barren land and a few piles of sand.
The CAV promised to create thousands of high-skilled niche job opportunities and was set to become a key feature of the South African aerospace industry. Sadly, this has not materialised due to inaction by the DTI. I will be specifically asking Minister Davies how many job opportunities have been lost in this regard, and what he will be doing to rectify this.
Minister Davies must also provide definitive answers to the following questions:
-Where the R65 million spent on bulk earthworks and infrastructure has gone as there is nothing to show on site.
-What has he or his department done to recover such funds from the CAV or the implicated contractors and department officials;
-How many officials have been brought to book for their involvement in the financial irregularities;
-How many of the recommendations in the forensic report have been actioned;
-Where are the buildings on the site the department continues to speak about;
-The contradiction in terms of a so-called lease agreement with private company Aerosud;
-What steps has the DTI taken to ascertain who signed off the R84 998 950.10 of unauthorised expenditure, and what steps have been taken to recover the money; and
-Whether the DTI has fulfilled its legal duty to report this “reasonable suspicion of fraud and corruption” to the South African Police Service (SAPS). Minister Davies must either provide evidence of this being reported, or an explanation as to why it was not reported.
The DA will continue to ensure that every cent of public money is spent on improving the lives and creating opportunities for all South Africans, and that job-killing corruption is eradicated, once and for all. The Centurion Aerospace Village is no exception.
Statement issued by Dean Macpherson, DA Shadow Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, 23 September 2015
