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DA to report Pemmy Majodina to parliament’s ethics committee for son’s ‘dodgy’ PPE deal

Andisiwe Makinana Political correspondent
ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina has indicated her willingness to subject herself to a 'parliamentary ethics probe'. File photo.
ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina has indicated her willingness to subject herself to a 'parliamentary ethics probe'. File photo.
Image: Esa Alexander/Sunday Times

DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone says her party will report her ANC counterpart Pemmy Majodina to parliament’s ethics committee to account for her son’s apparent dodgy deal to supply ANC constituency offices with personal protective equipment (PPE) in January.

Majodina’s son, Mkhonto weSizwe Majodina, secured a procurement deal to supply the ANC with thermometers worth R52,500 from the parliamentary caucus she manages.

“There appears to be a clear conflict of interest for which Majodina and her son must be probed and held fully to account,” said Mazzone.

On Sunday Majodina indicated her willingness to subject herself to a “parliamentary ethics probe”. She also wrote to the ANC integrity commission to express her wish and willingness to voluntarily appear before the commission.

Mazzone said the DA wants the parliamentary committee to investigate Majodina’s alleged role in the PPE deal as a matter of urgency.

“South Africans need parliamentarians who are beyond reproach, especially those tasked with senior positions in parliament where they are meant to hold public office bearers to account and demonstrate their oversight mandates,” she said.

This is the only way corruption would ever be rooted out, said Mazzone.

She said should any impropriety be found regarding Majodina or her son’s involvement in the deal she will have to be disciplined.

Mazzone said the allegations not only cast a shadow of the party’s “already tainted image”, but also cast aspersions over Majodina’s integrity as a chief whip in parliament.

“Parliament cannot continue to handle senior parliamentarians with kid gloves when their malfeasance comes to light. Decisive action must be taken to destroy the rot of corruption at its core,” said Mazzone.

The Sunday Times reported that a company in which Majodina’s son is a sole director supplied 150 thermometers valued at R350 each to be used in the party’s constituency offices across SA.

Majodina is the political head of the ANC parliamentary caucus.

Initially, she defended the transaction, saying the caucus did not have to go to open tender as the amount was less than R100,000. This is in terms of the ANC parliamentary caucus’s financial policy, she said. However, this was disputed by two insiders.

On Sunday, through her spokesperson, she said she was aware the transaction may be reasonably perceived as a form of abuse of office and nepotism due to the proximity of her son.

TimesLIVE

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