The Democratic Alliance in the North West welcomes the decision to investigate those responsible for awarding a R1 million bursary to the son of the former disgraced Premier, Supra Mahumapelo, as well as the allocation of a tender to his brother.

The former Premier must put his money where his mouth is and pay back the money his son received, as promised during a public meeting as well as in the Provincial Legislature, earlier this year.

The ANC should work responsibly with the people’s money and we urge Denel to conclude this matter as soon as possible.

It is imperative to also hold Denel’s former CEO, Zwelakhe Ntshepe, and board chairperson, Daniel Mantsha who resigned, accountable for the apparent shady dealings that went down at Denel under their watch.

Furthermore, we strongly feel that education is one of the cornerstones of our society and should be used to empower the people of North West – especially the poor. This bursary could have enriched the lives of honourable recipients.

Millions of people in the North West are unemployed - the Department of Education and schools are in dire need of fixing up and better management to improve the conditions for both learners and teachers.

A million Rand bursary could create a future for at least 15 students who enrol full time for three years at one of our local universities.

We, as the DA, want to create a society where the child of a domestic worker can have the opportunity to become a surgeon.

Clearly, being the Premier did not put Supra, nor his son, in a position where they had to rely on the people’s money to further his son’s studies or career.

The North West is desperate for the kind of change that only a DA-led government can deliver; the kind of change that places the people first, not the friends and family of politicians.

 

Issued by DA