The transport minister is embroiled in allegations that he has linked ministerial support of Cape Town’s Olympic bid with moving Parliament to Pretoria, reports Rehana Rossouw
IN a remarkable war of words, leaders campaigning to keep Parliament in the Mother City this week repeated claims that Transport Minister Mac Maharaj wanted to link his department’s support for Cape Town’s Olympic bid with a move of Parliament to Gauteng.
The Citizens’ Alliance for Parliament (CAP) this week refused to apologise for claiming that pressure had been placed on Cape Town to halt its campaign against moving Parliament to Gauteng in return for Department of Transport funding for transport infrastructure needed for the city’s 2004 Olympic Games bid.
But Maharaj, who heads a cabinet committee probing the costs of moving Parliament to Gauteng, on Thursday denied linking the two, saying he “firmly believed” they were separate issues. “Each should be approached on this basis and with rigorous examination of the facts so that national and sustainable decisions are taken in each case.”
Maharaj’s department has pledged R470-million to bring Cape Town’s transport infrastructure up to scratch in the run-up to the bid.
A senior CAP source charged this week the organisation had learnt that Maharaj had attempted to link the bid to the transport funding at a recent national working committee meeting of the African National Congress.
The organisation had also heard from a senior government adviser that discussions were taking place in the Department of Transport about linking the bid to the games. Rumours began circulating in Cape Town that parliament was being earmarked to become a conference centre, which was essential for the Olympic
Maharaj hit back: “I understand those who invest rational discussion and debate with high emotion. Belief by one in one’s cause is important, but we need to avoid overcharging the issues with emotion.
“To this end it is crucial that leaders at all levels avoid trading in rumours. In this regard, in the recent period, responsible community organisations have wittingly or unwittingly succumbed to this practice.”
CAP working committee member councillor Clive Keegan said the organisation was concerned about the suggestion that Parliament be traded off in exchange for support for the games.
He said Maharaj’s name was most frequently mentioned as the Cabinet member most actively involved in a “campaign” to move Parliament to Gauteng. Maharaj’s director-general was on record as saying the minister favoured moving Parliament to Pretoria in the interests of
“Since the day CAP was formed, we knew Maharaj was part of a faction in the Cabinet in favour of moving parliament,” Keegan said. “We appreciate the fact that the minister has now said that there should be no connection between the bid and Parliament, but we will still be watching him closely and reserve the right to continue our campaign.
“Despite the abusive calls from Maharaj’s office in the past few days, we will not apologise for suggesting he holds these viewpoints. He will have to live with the fact that he is seen as the prime mover to take Parliament from Cape Town … Maharaj may think that we are publicising baseless rumours, but we are fighting a desperate battle, and we have got to take seriously and respond to any attack on our city”
Maharaj: “As a political figure I accept that I am fair game for any person or parties seeking to promote their own particular causes. But I will always conduct myself in a manner which minimises trading in rumours. I repudiate and reject allegations from whatever quarter based on such rumours and so-called Oinside information’.”
ANC MP and CAP member Tony Yengeni said although the ANC had not yet discussed at a national level moving Parliament from Cape Town and Maharaj had the right to express whatever views he held, he had also been perturbed at reports that a linkage was being created between the Olympic bid and
“The ANC and the South African Communist Party in the Western Cape both support retaining Parliament in Cape Town and we will campaign to our utmost to ensure that it does,” he
“A decision to move Parliament to Pretoria will only be taken after a hard struggle on our part. Some people resident in Gauteng are being very arrogant about this, but we will not accept their positions.”
Yengeni said the Olympics was a once-off event, not an institution which would benefit Cape Town for a long time. Gauteng already had the constitutional court, the Human Rights Commission and the headquarters of most of South Africa’s largest businesses. It was unfair to suggest that it got Parliament too.”