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Beeld newspaper reported this morning that President Zuma’s Cabinet is refusing to release a Treasury report on the audit outcomes of municipalities. According to the newspaper, the report details how:

46 municipalities have not issued audit reports
70% of financial information from municipalities is unusable
48% of financial information submitted by municipalities is not trustworthy
almost 25% of municipalities could not produce the necessary supporting documentation.

The report paints a damning picture of the state of municipal finances across the country and explains why ANC-run municipalities have failed to deliver a better life for all.

It is obvious why the Cabinet is covering up this report before the election. But it is not a legitimate excuse. The election is all the more reason to release the report immediately. The people have a right to know how the governing party in their municipality has performed before they vote.

Today I am issuing a personal challenge to President Zuma: make the full report public before South Africa goes to the polls next Wednesday. Give every voter the opportunity to make a fully informed decision before they cast their ballot.

This cover-up is typical of the way the ANC has approached this election campaign. It has lost the debate on the real issues of service delivery, job creation and financial management. So instead, it is trying to make this election about something else. As usual, the ANC only has the race card left.

The voters of South Africa are seeing through these tactics. This is why more and more people will make a different choice at this election. They want a party committed to diversity as a means to bring about reconciliation. They want a party that delivers for all to redress apartheid’s legacy.

If President Zuma and his Cabinet had an ounce of integrity left, they would make the full report available to the public without delay. We await the President’s response.