Tshwane Administrator corruptly gives food parcels to ANC Military Veterans

24 April 2020

The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on Gauteng Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Lebogang Maile to suspend Tshwane Head Administrator Mpho Nawa for violating the lockdown regulations.

Yesterday Nawa convened a "stakeholder" meeting to distribute food parcels to Military Veterans and Elders of the African National Congress (ANC).

The DA has long known that Nawa is a deployee of the ANC.

But prioritising ANC military veterans and elders above thousands of elderly people who are desperately in need of food parcels in the City of Tshwane is despicable.

The Government has already established the Department of Military Veterans and Defence to take care of the needs of veterans.

The Military Veterans Benefits Regulations, which was  gazetted on 19 February 2014, allows veterans access to critical support including housing, healthcare, education, pensions as well as social and burial support.

The budget in the city is meant for all its residents and not just a select few belonging to the ANC.

Furthermore the meeting was in total violation of the regulations published by the government with regards to gatherings and the need to keep meetings to a minimum.

During the meeting Nawa was not wearing a mask as required by the Health Department.

The groups he met with are both considered high risk, due to their age, and luring them to the City of Tshwane with the promise of receiving food parcels is shockingly dangerous.

There has been no transparency or clear process set down by the city with regards to social support.

Judging by the manner in which Nawa's meeting notice was handled it is clear that the meeting was politicised, as no other political organisations, apart from the ANC, was made aware of it.

No person is above the law and that requires everyone to adhere to the lockdown regulations. If President Ramaphosa can suspend a Minister for violating lockdown regulations, MEC Maile should do the same with Nawa.

The DA has also been reliably informed that former ANC councillors are selling food parcels for R50 each in Soshanguve despite communication to all councillors to stay away from food distribution processes.

Food parcel distribution across the country has been plagued by corruption and manipulation.

It seems that the same is happening in Tshwane.

Issued by Randall Williams, DA Tshwane Mayoral Candidate, 24 April 2020