Speaker is wrong to put an end to travelgate investigation

I have received a letter from the Speaker of the National Assembly, Max Sisulu, which states that his office considers the travelgate saga to be officially over.

According to the Speaker, no further attempt will be made to collect the R12 million outstanding. In addition, the 73 MPs on the register of suspects that have not yet been criminally charged will not be pursued further. To date, only 6 out of 79 have been prosecuted.

"I trust that this settles the matter", concludes Sisulu in his letter. It certainly does not as far as the Democratic Alliance (DA) is concerned.

If we let the matter rest there, we will reinforce the perception that public officer-bearers can steal from the people of South Africa with impunity. We cannot endorse a mass bail-out of Members of Parliament (MPs) whose conduct was both illegal and morally reprehensible.

The DA will continue to push for all outstanding money to be paid back to parliament, until all possible avenues have been exhausted.

I will write to Ben Turok MP, Chair of the Ethics Committee, and request that, in light of the list of travelgate MPs being made public, that he fully investigates all travelgate MPs who have failed to pay back the money which is owed to parliament. The action taken by the Ethics Committee against Yolanda Botha last week should be the rule, not the exception. MPs that have defrauded and undermined the integrity of Parliament must be investigated and brought to book. The list of travelgate MPs can be viewed by clicking here and here.

This list includes a number of high ranking ANC members, such as former Deputy Minister of Police, Maggie Sityu, who have failed to pay back the money they owe. The DA calls on the ANC to walk the talk and prove its dedication to fighting corruption. The ANC leadership must ensure that travelgate fraudsters, whether or not they are currently MPs, pay back the money they owe to the public.

The DA welcomes the Speaker's willingness to furnish us with the complete schedule of MPs, but the matter is far from over. The travelgate scandal should not be considered settled until every possible step has been taken to ensure that justice is done.

Statement issued by Ian Davidson MP, DA Chief Whip, August 30 2011

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