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Intimidation of NMB audit team

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Dear MyPE

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will write to the Police Commissioner today requesting specialist SAPS protection, a secure working location, and accommodation for the Auditor-General audit team tasked with working in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro. We will also raise this matter in Parliament today, where the A-G is expected to brief the Standing Committee on the Auditor-General.

This follows the A-G’s decision on 4 November 2019, to withdraw its audit team at the Metro, after they received serious and credible threats to their safety.

NMB Mayor, Mongameli Bobani’s now infamous drain cleaning tender has already resulted in numerous assassinations of small business owners and former councillors. During the course of their work, the audit team has not been able to speak to any officials involved in this infamous drain cleaning tender, as they were told by officials that “they would need bodyguards” if they wanted to audit that tender.

On another occasion, an envelope was found in the auditors’ working boardroom addressed to the “Audit Manager/ Audit General”, containing newspaper clippings of assassinations related to the drain cleaning tender. As if this was not enough, when small business owners armed with guns stormed the supply chain office, they were told they will not be getting any money because the “audit team were there”, placing their lives in further danger.

Not only did the audit team need to urgently retreat under the looming threat of assassination, but they have also had to receive counselling for the anxiety and fear that they were exposed to.

The DA strongly rejects this blatant thuggery and intimidation of the A-G officials. We simply cannot allow thugs to rule the NMB Metro and derail the critically important work of the Auditor-General to expose criminality and financial impropriety.

The A-G’s work must continue, the truth must be brought to light in order to ensure that any person who has been implicated in wrongdoing is exposed and held to account.

The DA reiterates our calls for enhanced security measures to protect the audit team and assure them of their safety.

Regards

Jan De Villiers MP
DA Member on the Standing Committee on the Auditor-General

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