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 At 12pm today I will go to the office of the Public Protector in Polokwane to lay a complaint against MEC Dickson Masemola and the Limpopo Education Department for unlawfully awarding a R40 million school feeding scheme tender to Julius Malema’s associates.
 
According to reports in today’s Mail and Guardian, this contract was allegedly manipulated to favour people who are close to Mr Malema. It is reported that Mr Malema had apparently handed a list of his favoured ‘bidders’ to MEC Masemola.
 
It will be remembered that, at that time, Mr Masemola had not yet fallen out of favour with Premier Cassel Mathale’s camp, known for its close association with Julius Malema.
 
It can never be a mere coincidence that Malema’s two cousins, bodyguard, his former driver and other people with close proximity to him would all be favoured for one school nutrition tender.  
 
The Public Protector must summon Education Department officials and MEC Masemola to give evidence of how it came about that several people who happen to be close to Mr Malema would benefit from this contract.
 
The DA has consistently advocated for a more equitable and transparent tendering system in Limpopo along the lines of what has already been implemented where we govern. The rot associated with state tenders in this province goes far deeper than anyone actually contemplates.

As long as the status quo prevails, corruption will remain a permanent feature in our province. In the meantime we want to see justice where corruption is exposed.