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IFP: Mkhuleko Hlengwa: Address by IFP spokesperson on Finance and Public Accounts, during a debate on matter of urgent public importance, NPA and Gordhan, Parliament (29/11/2016)

IFP: Mkhuleko Hlengwa: Address by IFP spokesperson on Finance and Public Accounts, during a debate on matter of urgent public importance, NPA and Gordhan, Parliament (29/11/2016)
Photo by Tiffany-Turkington_Flicker

30th November 2016

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Honourable Speaker,

A wise man once said “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty”

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When South Africa closed the door on apartheid in 1994, and ushered in an era of freedom and democracy we undertook the responsibility of vigilance to safeguard our new discourse against political abuse and undue interference.

To achieve this noble objective we anchored our systems of checks and balances in independent organs and institutions of state.

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The National Prosecuting Authority is one such institution; designed to pursue justice without fear, favour or compromise; yet the charges levelled and subsequently dropped against the Minister of Finance were nothing but a desperate act of politics at the behest of corrupt and morally bankrupt leaders, and all at the expense of the National Interest.

The prosecution which the NPA sought to pursue against the Minister of Finance was at best carefully constructed within the confines of mafia justice where rationale conduct is sacrificed upon the altar of expedience for the purposes of unrivalled appeasement of the underling’s master.

We can ill- afford to sacrifice our economy any further on the altar of vendettas to settle political scores especially when the stakes and risks are so high for our people and collective future. This means we must avoid repeating “Nenegate” through a “Gordhangate”

The fate of the trumped-up and spurious charges against Minister Gordhan is now history. They disappeared like dew before the morning sun; but their consequences have left a lasting and negative imprint on our body politic and economy.

A moment of national reflection is required. We must ask ourselves how we got here and importantly determine how we will get out of the firm grip of blatant disregard for law, order, democracy and constitutionalism.

These realities call for eternal vigilance from all of us in this house and well beyond its walls.
Eternal vigilance and principled action are a noble price to pay, compared to the destructive consequences of the actions of those entrusted with the responsibility to govern our country; if their actions continue unchecked and their relentless assault on our economy is unabated and we stand idle on the side-lines we will be complicit in the death of our democracy and our institutions of state and our economy.

Former Minister Nene was fired because he refused to abandon the patriotic duty of eternal vigilance.
Minister Gordahn is in the firing line because he refuses to abandon his patriotic convictions of vigilance to protect the public purse.

Eternal vigilance is patriotic, and patriotism is eternal vigilance.

If the NPA is worth its salt it must pursue the 783 charges of fraud and corruption against President Zuma; because a failure to do so will be a dereliction of duty and permanent and contemptuous stain on its mandate of office.

“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”

I thank-you!

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