Wasteful expenditure: DA welcomes investigation into ANC provincial government's vehicle purchase

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the police's investigation into the allegedly unlawful purchase of a vehicle for the ANC's provincial secretary, Zamani Saul, by the ANC-led Northern Cape provincial legislature (see Sunday Times report). The ML 320 Mercedes, valued at R590 000, was allegedly purchased without following the correct tender procedures and is now being branded for the party's election campaign in the Northern Cape.

According to the Sunday Times, the vehicle in question is registered in the name of the ANC's provincial secretary, Zamani Saul, who is not a public office bearer. Mr.Saul admitted to the Sunday Times: "We are using the car for electioneering and we are going to brand it."

The Northern Cape Legislature has already tainted by serious allegations of maladministration, after ANC provincial leader, John Block, was arrested recently on charges of tender fraud and corruption. This appears to be another example of the ANC's unscrupulous management of public resources.

The fact that the vehicle was registered two days after Mr. Saul declared his support for Mr. Block, appears particularly dubious.

Public money is meant to be used to the benefit of the people from whom it has been entrusted, and so we welcome the investigation that has been launched into this apparently unlawful use of public funds for party political purposes.

Statement issued by James Lorimer MP, DA Shadow Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, March 20 2011

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