Mr Bongani Msomi
UDM Secretary General
The United Democratic Movement is disheartened by how government and SASSA are keeping quiet about African National Congress (ANC) officials, members and/or councillors unfairly distributing food parcels to the needy in various communities throughout South Africa. In some areas, food parcels are given to people along party affiliation.
The ANC’s inhumane greediness is worrisome, as it is now common to read or hear about ruling party leaders, members and/or councillors being implicated in food-parcel corruption, with very little said or done by the party to stop this.
The video circulating on social media of the deputy speaker of Mpumalanga’s provincial legislature, Vusi Mkhatshwa, delivering food parcels to his house is a total disgrace, especially since he is a senior government official.
The ruling party by its own admission had agreed in many platforms that cadre deployment is not taking the country forward, yet it continues to allow its members to play crucial roles in our society, like distributing food parcels, during this challenging time of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As a result, members of our communities are starving, yet, the state has done nothing to address this problem.
The UDM calls on President Ramaphosa, and the ruling party, to take the nation into confidence about the numbers of government officials, ANC leaders, members or councillors that have been found wanting and also indicate what steps have been taken against them.
The UDM is afraid that if no steps are taken against the suspected culprits, the R500 billion secured to flatten the curve of the Covid-19 pandemic will go down the drain, just like what happened with some of the funds that were meant to assist with the funeral of our world icon, former President Nelson Mandela.
Once bitten, twice shy.
Issued By: Mr Bongani Msomi
UDM Secretary General
My leader i wish was talking with confidence but i am not. i wish i was saying that which you are deeply concerned about will be addressed. but to be speak from experiance for example the deeply troubling conduct which took place at the Funeral of the Father of the nation. The unity of the ruling party is of paramount importance that morals and legality are relegated to options and not binding principals. They as i have above agreed that their shameless conducts find themselves in the most critical time and event. our job as party like this one is to safegaurd our democracy and Gate keep to make sure that stomach politics do not become order of the day , if it does prevail it must not do so undisturbed. we should not be disempowered therefore kodwa kufuneka silole isikhali zethu silungiselele lengxak through our courts and other approppriate means.