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Dear President Zuma

There appears to be a growing disjuncture between the promises made by national government, and its ability to deliver on them. This is threatening to hold our country back from achieving its full potential.

Now is the time for action.

The decision to institute a Commission of Inquiry into the arms deal is a step in the right direction. We trust that you will make the Commission of Inquiry’s terms of reference available to the public soon.

There remain a number of important matters involving corruption and wasteful expenditure that are not being tackled head-on by this government.

You have an ideal opportunity to show South Africa that you can take the tough choices, even if it they make you unpopular in your party. You can show the people of South Africa that you put their interests first by taking decisive action on the following:

SAPS lease deals

In her investigations into the two dubious SAPS lease deals, the Public Protector found that the Minister of Public Works and the National Police Commissioner acted in a manner that was improper, unlawful and amounted to misconduct. She recommended that action be taken against them.

That was in February. Since then, the Minister involved has repeatedly failed to show up in Parliament to account for her actions. The special Committee set up to discuss the Public Protector’s report was inexplicably postponed until further notice.

It is your prerogative to take action against the Minister of Public Works and the National Police Commissioner. You do not have to wait until this Committee gets its act together. You can act now. And you should do so without delay.

The anti-corruption strategic plan

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe recently described corruption as "cancerous", and stated that everyone, including political leaders, needed to work together to eliminate it. And yet, two years have passed since the Anti-Corruption Inter-Ministerial Review was established. The anti-corruption strategic plan they were tasked with devising has still not been made public.

The inescapable conclusion is that there is no plan to tackle corruption. Again, the indelible impression is that, when it comes to corruption, this government is long on promises and short on delivery.

Ministerial handbook

Two-and-a-half years ago, in response to a public outcry over spending on ministerial vehicles, your government established a task team to review the ministerial handbook that regulates such expenditure.

And yet, we are still waiting to hear what the outcome of that process is. In the meantime, the Provincial Government of the Western Cape has produced and published its own ministerial handbook which drastically cuts out perks and privileges for provincial ministers.

What has taken your government so long? If you are struggling, why don’t you just implement the Western Cape government’s handbook at national level?

The longer you drag your feet, the more your Ministers continue to spend on lavish cars, hotel stays and overseas trips.

Now is the time for action.

You have a unique opportunity to prove that you are as tough on corruption as you say you are.

You can silence those critics who say that your presidency is marked by your desire to please the people around you.

You can show South Africa that you are a true leader.

This is a chance for you to pass a crucial test of your presidency. It is in the interest of all South Africans that you grasp this opportunity to show us what you are made of.

Yours sincerely

Athol Trollip MP
DA Parliamentary Leader