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Reports that staff at the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP) are ready to down tools can solely be placed at the foot of Gauteng Economic Development MEC, Lebogang Maile who has, for over a year, ignored their complaints about maladministration and corruption in the entity.

The DA has seen documents indicating that these issues had been referred to the MEC as far back as November 2016, yet there has been no action taken by the MEC to move on these allegations.

According to employees working at GEP, approved organisational structures were reconfigured and signed off without consultation and some staff have been placed on suspension without knowing why.

MEC Maile is often seen to be verbally addressing issues, but when the façade slips, it is evident that he does not have the political conviction to clean house.

In June this year the MEC was going to address the media as to the corruption in GEP, but this, like most of what the MEC promises, never came to pass.

GEP is a critical entity in the Economic Development Portfolio. It stimulates growth for SMMEs, investment and other projects that lead to job creation. In a downgraded economy, with high levels of unemployment. An entity like GEP simply cannot afford to fail.

I will write to MEC Maile to ascertain what plan of action he is going to take to ensure that GEP can begin to function on all cylinders and what will be done to address the numerous allegations of corruption and maladministration.

Issued by DA