DA wants SIU probe into R28m SAMA funding allegations
The DA has called on
the Special Investigating Unit to probe allegations of fraud and corruption at
KZN's Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs.
DA provincial leader
Francois Rodgers made the call at a media briefing in Durban on Tuesday.
Rodgers said they have also received information from whistleblowers on funding, allegedly being moved from other programmes to cover the R28 million is apparently needs to host the South African Music Awards.
He said they have also heard that funds are being funneled from department programmes to be spent on items of a personal nature.
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"And of course, we now hear that eThekwini will also be contributing a substantial sum of money and we need to question whether in fact that is a priority. Taking into account, firstly the fiscal situation the province finds itself in, the austerity measures that have been enforced not just by the provincial treasury but by national treasury."
Responding to the allegations, the department’s spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya said he was disappointed that the DA did not have the evidence to back up their claims.
"SIU has serious things to investigate, not the allegations, not chasing shadows that is what they want the SIU to do. There is absolutely nothing to investigate when you talk about documents that have been pick pocketed, they are misleading the people of KwaZulu-Natal.”
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