Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

Premier Lesufi’s pays lip service to his stated intolerance for corruption

It has been seven months since AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit revealed that Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi was being accused by whistleblowers within the provincial government of a massive cover-up of rampant corruption, money laundering and fraud worth hundreds of millions of rand that was allocated to the Department of Social Development (DSD). Despite public denials and claims to stand firm against corruption, Lesufi has not responded to the units correspondence nor acted on the issues raised therein.

The unit has now approached the Gauteng Legislature, urging the speaker to fulfil the constitutional duty to exercise oversight of the provincial executive authority, which includes the Premier. The Private Prosecution Unit has previously requested that Lesufi confirm whether a criminal case was filed against the DSD HOD, the reasons for the reinstatement of officials implicated in serious fraud and corruption, whether civil action was taken to recover the looted funds, and whether the implicated service providers were blacklisted. The premier failed to respond to that letter.

Adv. Gerrie Nel, head of the unit, says it appears Lesufi has demonstrated an aversion to accountability. “We are left to believe that the perceived inactions of the Honourable Premier Lesufi and MEC of Social Development may reasonably be inferred to be a blatant and concerted effort to conceal the alleged crimes unearthed by the forensic investigators, protect the implicated officials and thereby maintain his office’s wilful blindness to the looting of public funds,” he said.

Barry Bateman, spokesperson for the unit, says Lesufi’s conduct is all too familiar. “We have become accustomed to the Government’s sleight of hand when dealing with fraud and corruption allegations. It is quick to order an investigation thereby creating an impression of doing what is right, whereas the reality is that it is merely buying time before inevitably ignoring or reviewing the damning findings of the forensic investigations. This misleads the public into believing that the Government is dealing with corruption.

“Corruption remains one of the unit’s strategic focus areas, and we will soon announce steps against politicians who appear to be immune to prosecution. The days of making false promises to avoid being held accountable will come to an end,” said Bateman.

The legislature’s speaker and the deputy speaker have confirmed receipt of the letter.