DA welcomes findings of Public Protector's investigation into Midvaal
Where the DA governs, we strive to do our best for the citizens we serve. This means a focus on job creation and poverty alleviation. It means ensuring efficient service delivery for those who need it most. And it means paying special attention to our financial management practices.
We don't always get it absolutely right. But, when mistakes are made, we go out of our way to ensure they don't happen again. And we are open with the public about our shortcomings. We don't try and hide wrongdoing. We acknowledge our mistakes and we rectify them.
The Public Protector has today finalised her report into various allegations concerning the Midvaal Municipality. She found no evidence of corruption.
But she did find some instances of maladministration. In each of these instances, the municipality had already begun a process of remedial action. The Mayor of Midvaal, Timothy Nast, has today released a comprehensive statement in this regard. Mr Nast has also committed himself to carrying out the recommendations of the Public Protector.
The DA leadership takes a special interest in the performance of the governments under our control. We will therefore be closely monitoring Midvaal to ensure that its systems and processes are improved further.
Indeed, the DA leadership has been monitoring Midvaal since these allegations first surfaced.
In 2009, a Commission of Inquiry was established by the former Provincial Leader, John Moodey. The Commission of Inquiry, like the Public Protector, found that the documentary evidence proved beyond reasonable doubt that no corruption had taken place in the municipality.
The Commission did recommend that steps be taken to ensure more competitiveness in the awarding of tenders for legal services. This was duly done in 2009, as the Public Protector acknowledged in her report.
I would like to announce today that, following the Public Protector's report, the DA will be reviewing the rules that govern the actions of its public office-bearers. In the weeks ahead we will take steps to prohibit DA office-bearers from doing business with DA governments. This is in line with the Business Interests of Employees Act we have passed in the Western Cape.
The DA is proud of its achievements in Midvaal. It is ranked the number one municipality in Gauteng for quality of life. It is number one in the province for job creation. It is the only municipality in Gauteng with a debt collection rate of 100%. And it has received clean reports from the Auditor-General for the past eight years.
Implementing the recommendations of the Public Protector's report will help us improve on this track record still further.
Statement issued by James Selfe MP, Chairperson of the DA Federal Executive, November 8 2011
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