Cape Town – Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) has condemned the underachievement of the Department of Basic Education, saying it failed to meet targets even though it used more than 90 percent of its budget.

Scopa chairperson Themba Godi said the department, under Minister Angie Motshekga, spent 93% of its budget, yet it implemented less than 50% of its targets for the 2016/17 financial year.

Motshekga was one of the few ministers who survived President Cyril Ramaphosa’s late night Cabinet reshuffle on Monday.

“The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) condemns the underachievement versus the utilisation of the budget on school infrastructure by the Department of Basic Education. The department has spent 93 percent of its budget whereas it has implemented less than 50 percent of its targets for the 2016/17 financial year,” Godi said on Tuesday.

He said Scopa noted poor monitoring mechanisms within the department.

Godi added that the committee could not get sufficient responses from the department on why it failed to meet its targets, and noted that the implementing agents of the department got away with not following proper supply chain regulations and legislation. Godi has requested the department to forward written responses to the committee with details on the suppliers used for scholar transport and on the kind of vehicles that these suppliers use.

Cape Town – Newly-sworn-in Deputy President David ” DD” Mabuza has dismissed talk about him being linked to criminal dealings as a smear campaign that started as far back as 2009.

Mabuza was announced as President Cyril Ramaphosa’s deputy on Monday night, following a Cabinet reshuffle. He and other newly-appointed ministers were sworn in on Tuesday.

Mabuza, who was the premier of Mpumalanga since 2009, has been accused of running the province as his own personal fiefdom, including getting rid of political opponents in the province.

But, after his swearing in as the new deputy president, he dismissed allegations that he was involved in corruption and other dealings as a smear campaign.

“The campaign started in 2009 the moment I became premier, because people did not expect a village boy becoming premier. They will not accept it,” he said.

“Since 2009, and now [it] is 2018, nine years later, they are still talking about this thing and now I am deputy president. And they will probably talk about these things until I die.”

‘I want to help our media’

Mabuza encouraged anyone who has seen him or any other citizen commit a crime to report it to the authorities.

“No one wants to step forward and say: ‘I’ve seen DD Mabuza commit this and this and this. I am prepared to go and testify in court’,” he said.

“A responsible citizen, really you [are] trying, helping the country to fight crime, fight corruption. No, no one will blame you for that,” he added.

Mabuza, who was a supporter of former president Jacob Zuma, has referred to himself as “The Cat” for his many political lives. Despite allegations levelled against him, he maintains it is nothing but a smear campaign.

“An allegation of corruption, of crime, of anything, we’re a Constitutional democracy, we have got these institutions to report to the relevant people. But if you choose not to report it, but talk about it, that means your intention is not a good intention. So you can read between the lines that probably those people that are talking about those allegations they realise a certain potential in me,” Mabuza said.

“But if you talk, and I realise you are a political opponent, or you are within the ANC, because even within the same party there is a push and push and push,” he added.

Mabuza told reporters that he wanted “to help our media” to avoid more rumours.

“I want to help our media, it is always important to write about something that has got a base. Don’t write about something that is baseless… you can’t write about rumours.”

“We are taking a wrong culture, a culture of rumours… Let’s not abuse it. Because I hate someone, I report, I say false things. No, just to advance my own ambitious. That won’t help our country,” he added.

Mabuza said he would encourage any person to report any form of crime, whether it was corruption, or women and child abuse.

PARLIAMENT – Home Affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni gave reasons to Parliament on Tuesday, why the Guptas were granted early naturalisation in 2015, helping them get South African citizenship. 

Minister Malusi Gigaba came under fire after he admitted to the extraordinary move, personally approving the family members’ citizenships during his first stint at the department. 

READ: Gigaba revisits the skeletons in his ‘home affairs’

This despite the fact their application had been turned down a few months earlier. One usually has to wait a year to reapply with fresh information.

But Gigaba said there were exceptional circumstances.

Apleni told Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs the Guptas’ business interests and charity work helped their application.

READ: Bank of Baroda helped Guptas move money out of SA: report

The net is closing in around the controversial family. Several law enforcement agencies are investigating allegations of state capture against them.

“Enough information has been provided by the Department of Home Affairs to the committee. The committee will at a right time take a decision on the basis of the information at its disposal,” said committee chairperson, Lemias Mashile.

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