ANC shielding Minister Oliphant from accountability for corruption scandal

11 March 2015

In today's sitting of the Portfolio Committee on Labour, Chairperson Lumka Yengeni, along with her ANC colleagues, actively blocked the DA's attempts to call Minister Mildred Oliphant to account for the corruption scandal at Nedlac.

This was the third time Ms Yengeni has refused our request. 

An independent forensic report found that former Executive Director of Nedlac, Herbert Mkhize, and then Chief Financial Officer of Nedlac, Umesh Dulabh, fraudulently and illegally enriched themselves to the value of almost R2 million using Nedlac funds. The Minister has had this report in her possession for more than two years but has taken no action in this regard.

Rather than taking action, the Minister hired Mkhize as her special advisor. The Minister's inaction smacks of a cover-up to protect a deployed cadre found to have his fingers in the till.

The DA has called for the Minister to appear before the committee to answer for this corruption, including why she has failed to take any action for the last two years.

Yengeni once again blocked this call today, basing her refusal on the fact that the report had not been presented to the portfolio committee, and therefore cannot consider the matter. 

I will therefore be tabling the Nedlac forensic report at the very next sitting of the portfolio committee, leaving the Chairperson and the ANC nowhere to hide.  

Statement issued by Ian Ollis MP, DA Shadow Minister of Labour, March 11 2015

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