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In February this year, the Democratic Alliance (DA) laid charges of corruption with the Cape Town Central Police Station against Hessequa mayor, Christopher Taute. The case was transferred to the SAPS Commercial Unit in George, where the investigation is still underway. According to the warrant officer investigating the case, individuals who received letters soliciting funds for the ANC from Mayor Taute are reluctant to speak out. They fear that their businesses will suffer, as the municipality is, in many cases, their biggest client. The warrant officer is also aware of at least one incident of alleged intimidation.

In ten days’ time, the DA will take over the running of the Hessequa municipality. One of its first actions will be to dismiss Christopher Taute. We will also make every effort to ensure that witnesses in the corruption case are able to come forward without fear of intimidation or reprisal. It is important that justice be served and that the insidious spread of corruption involving the blurring of party and state, be halted. The ANC has made it clear, following the release of the Public Protector’s report on Mayor Taute’s improper conduct, that they will not be taking appropriate action against him. It will now be the task of the justice system to take the matter further.

The ANC’s reaction to the Public Protector’s findings is a powerful illustration of the majority party’s disdain for accountability, and the constitutional mandate of the Public Protector. ANC Western Cape Secretary Songezo Mjongile is quoted in Business Day (July 6) as saying ‘when we heard the initial reports about his (Mr Taute’s) actions we all felt it was inappropriate and we censured him … but the man explained himself, he said it was a mistake and expressed regret.’ According to Mr Mjongile, the ANC will not be calling on the mayor to resign.

In a press briefing hosted yesterday by the National Press Club, Public Protector Adv. Thuli Madonsela raised concerns about the number of cases investigated by her office that involve the blurring of party and state. The Hessequa investigation is just such a case, and the ANC’s flippant response to the Public Protector’s findings illustrates why such incidents will continue to occur with increasing frequency.

Such behaviour underscores the lack of sincerity with which the ANC’s repeated commitments to tackling corruption and poor governance are delivered.

The DA calls on ANC Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe to issue an appropriate and considered response to the Public Protector’s findings. If the ANC is serious about tackling corruption, its leaders must act in a way that reflects this. Failure to do so can only lead to the conclusion that the ANC is not tackling corruption because it lacks the political will to do so.