Moerane Commission: DA to ensure that Premier Mchunu releases the report
13 June 2018
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature is committed to holding Premier Willies Mchunu to the legally prescribed time frames in terms of the release of the Moerane Report, to both Members of the Provincial Legislature and the public.
The DA’s commitment to transparency and accountability comes after the Premier yesterday received the final 424 page report from the Commission, which investigated the underlying causes behind what appear to be a rising number of politically motivated murders in the province.
The DA welcomes the handing over of this important document to the Premier. In terms of the process from here on, the Commissions Act is very clear. The Premier is now obliged to submit the report to Members of the KZN Legislature within 21 working days. This means that D-day for the Premier is 21 July.
He must then also hand the report over to the province’s relevant portfolio committee which is expected to provide formal written feedback to him. Once this is done the Premier must release the Commission’s report to the public within 21 working days and also indicate whether, and to what extent, the Commission’s findings or recommendations will be implemented and the reasons for this.
The release of the Moerane report has become a matter of urgency and public importance as people continue to die every month. The Commission has also been conducted at great expense to the people of the province and its findings must be made publicly available in the interest of accountability and transparency.
Should these outcomes prove to be what the DA has long suspected - that endemic ANC patronage, in-fighting for resources in the form of lucrative tenders and other party-related battles are the reasons behind the killings – then this must be exposed. The DA will hold the Premier to this.
The people of KZN deserve to be an informed citizenry - one which is in a position to make responsible decisions in terms of their own safety. They have a right to know what is going on in their province. Currently this is not the case and the DA continues to hear ongoing complaints from people who are frustrated at being kept in the dark.
The DA expects Premier Mchunu to honour his many previous commitments to transparency to the people of KZN. In the event that he fails to do so, they in turn must hold him accountable at the ballot box in 2018.
Issued by Zwakele Mncwango, DA KZN Spokesperson on the Office of the Premier, 13 June 2018
