DA to prevent corruption with SOD declaration on load shedding
JOHANNESBURG – Cabinet is scheduled to deliberate and take a decision on the proposed declaration of a State of Disaster (SoD) on the load-shedding crisis and the DA is taking practical steps to ensure that such a declaration has in-built safeguards to prevent executive overreach and stop corruption.
To prevent the feeding frenzy that characterized PPE procurement by ANC cadres and their families during the Covid-19 SoD, the DA will fight to ensure that any SoD on the load-shedding crisis is actively monitored through a Special Inspector-General to prevent the looting of any emergency funding that may be set aside to address the crisis; Live and public National Treasury record that will track all tenders, procurement contracts, and successful bidders; Parliamentary ad-hoc committee to oversee the implementation of the SoD.
Following the official announcement of the SoD, as provided for in the Disaster Management Act, DA plans to table a proposal to the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, calling for the creation of a Special Inspector-General to prevent corruption relating to any funding directed toward addressing the electricity crisis.
The Inspector-General would differ from the Auditor-General (AG) in that the AG only considers spending after it has happened at the end of a financial year, and cannot take any preemptive action to prevent corruption.
Similarly, as soon as the SoD is announced, the DA will immediately ask Parliament to establish an ad-hoc committee that will act as an oversight mechanism to prevent executive overreach, stop corruption and enforce transparency and accountability during implementation.
The DA’s three-point plan to place deterrents against corruption in an SoD on the load-shedding crisis is to ensure that every single cent meant for addressing the electricity crisis is directed towards its intended purpose and not corrupt politicians and their friends.