While the government speaks nobly about transparency and good governance, there is an enormous gap between its words and its deeds, says Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon.
In his weekly newsletter on the DA website, SA Today, he cites the so-called Travelgate scandal as an example of an issue where the African National Congress is eager to protect itself at the expense of public interest.
The Scorpions investigative unit this week started interviews with 23 MPs — 19 of them reportedly from the ANC — allegedly implicated in attempts to defraud Parliament through the wrongful use of travel vouchers.
Deputy President Jacob Zuma faced questions on this and other issues in the National Assembly on Thursday.
In his letter on Friday, Leon said Zuma had ”managed to produce some rather astounding responses” to what were simple and direct questions.
”In response to the DA’s questions about the Travelgate scandal, Mr Zuma condemned what he called a ‘witch-hunt’ against MPs. The ANC benches promptly broke into loud cheers and applause.
”The ruling party is firmly on the wrong side of this issue, and is clearly eager to protect its political interests at the expense of the public interest.
”It is evident that while the ANC speaks nobly about transparency and good governance, when it is actually called to hold public representatives accountable there is an enormous gap between its words and its deeds.”
Trade agreement with ‘pariah state’
Leon also commented on Minister of Defence Mosiuoa Lekota’s signing, on Tuesday, of a new trade agreement with Iran, allowing that country’s government to buy uranium from South Africa.
”Our government seems to be reverting to the apartheid regime’s practice of developing close relations with isolated, pariah states,” he said.
The agreement is a ”deeply ominous development”.
”The United Nations suspects that Iran is using nuclear energy projects as a front for the development of nuclear weapons. Mohamed El-Baradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has made personal visits to Iran to investigate.
”Last month, in defiance of international pressure, Iran resumed testing at a uranium conversion facility. The byproducts of these tests could be used to produce weapons-grade uranium.
”If South Africa sells uranium to Iran, we could actually be helping it to develop nuclear weapons. That would be the most flagrant reversal of our government’s commitment to non-proliferation and its stated objective of encouraging peace in the Middle East,” Leon said. — Sapa