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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape (NC) welcomes the revelation made in the portfolio committee for Sport, Arts & Culture, that the HAWKS are investigating the payment of relief funding to beneficiaries during the first quarter of the 2020/21 financial year.

During the portfolio committee yesterday, the department took the committee into its confidence and laid to rest all concerns surrounding the payment of relief funds to beneficiaries in the province by announcing that not only will the HAWKS be investigating the allocation of these payment to beneficiaries, but that the Auditor General (AG) also requested for the documentation to be shared with them.

Early in May this year, when the country was under hard lockdown due to the restrictions imposed as a result of the Coronavirus infection rate, the DA submitted questions for written reply to the department in search of answers for an array of issues involving fraudulent and mismanagement of public funds.

It was a difficult time for beneficiaries who rely on payments from departments and who could not physically enquire about the state of affairs during the lockdown period. Many had to suffice without a warm plate of food over the cold winter period and many have lost belongings due to unpaid bills.

The DA awaits the report from the law enforcement agencies and trusts that this matter will be dealt with speedily to ensure that the findings can be presented to the portfolio committee in due time.

We have been lobbying hard for the payments of these relief funds to beneficiaries and we will not rest until we know how funds were dealt with during the payment process and if these funds were dealt with fairly.

The hands-on approach by law enforcement agencies during this difficult time is a step in the right direction.

Issued by The DA