Qiqa Tobia

After a number of reports on the obtaining of personal protective equipment (PPE) tenders, President Cyril Ramaphosa has set-up a committee to oversee these dealings.

On Wednesday the cabinet had a sit in, where the committee was established.

The task force is headed by the justice and correctional services, Minister Ronald Lamola, alongside him are other cabinet members, finance minister Tito Mboweni, minister of public services and administration Senzo Mchunu, police minister Bheki Cele, minister in presidency Jackson Mthembu and cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) minister Dr Nkosanzana Dlamini-Zuma.

Yesterday, Lamola gave a press brief regarding the sitting of the cabinet on the previous day. He reiterated the instructions from the president that all government departments are to provide all relevant information to names of the businesses and amounts of tenders and agreements made with them during the period of Covid-19 and the national state of disaster.

“That is the first of accountability, transparency and ethical leadership,” said Lamola.

He added that the newly established special coordination centre is made of several institutions capable of detecting, investigating, preventing and prosecuting any Covid-19 related criminality.

The agencies involved will be the Financial Intelligence Centre, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), SARS, Special Investigative Unit, the Hawks, the Independent police investigative directory, State Security agency and Crime intelligence and detective services.

During an interview with eNCA, political analyst, Xolani Dube was not sure that the work of the committee will be effective. Mentioning other task force bodies that have been put in place during the president’s term. The Life Esidimeni commission was one of the committees which has shown no results in holding political persons accountable for their involvement in the deaths of South African citizens.

“It’s just another propaganda machine, to pacify South African and surely next month we will be dealing with something different. I think there were a lot of layers, very decorative layers that were dawned to this current president, but unfortunately the Covid has managed to unpeel him. As we see how naked he is, and so I don’t think he is meeting the expectations that people were praising to be possessed prior to ascending into the presidency,” He said.

Picture: news24.com