Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane has lashed out at political parties that did not support the Budget Vote for her department. They have cited allegations of corruption and fraud as the reason for not supporting her Budget Vote.
Six out of the 18 political parties represented in the National Assembly did not to support the Budget of the Human Settlement Department. The parties include the DA, EFF, MKP and ActionSA among others.
Ahead of her Budget, Simelane told the media that she was not tabling her Budget Vote for the DA, including the Simelane family.
“I’m not presenting the Budget for Simelane family. No! I am presenting a Budget, which is supposed to serve the people of South Africa. So, I am not sure if it is a wise thing to personalise the Budget. It can never be personal. And I am not presenting it to the Democratic Alliance. I am presenting it to the National Assembly this afternoon and the National Assembly will take a decision,” says Simelane.
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The DA has opened a case of corruption against the minister. But Simelane started by taking a swipe at the DA saying there are many DA members who are alleged to have broken the law including one who murdered her sister.
“I am going on trial without charges. They are trialing me in the public because you think it is the only way to degrade the work that I am doing. Let me remind the Democratic Alliance, one of your public representatives and I know honourable Khaukhau you do not know him; Msebenzi Hadebe – go and investigate him. A murder alleged in my sister’s case died under the Democratic Alliance not charged. (In) 2016, when I managed to lay charges against him, it was only then the DA suspended him. Even on my calls to get the DA to submit a statement of murder against my sister. In 2019, she died. 19 years under the Democratic Alliance with no justice,” says Simelane.
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On the issue of the charges that the party laid against her, Simelane said the same are gunning for her removal and not allowing the law to take its course.
“Investigation is accountability. We can’t be taught that. We are actual the delivery of accountability, and I have availed myself for all accountability. Now, if an investigation is being done, then you can’t … you reported the case. But you can’t wait for the investigation to conclude. You know one other thing in between the investigation? I fear I am going to disappear after this. I mean really!”
The department has been allocated R33 billion for the current financial year.
In a media briefing earlier, the minister acknowledged that the money is not enough to deal with housing backlog in South Africa.
“Is the money enough even for those which have been formalised to quickly build a house ? No. That is why in our target, as I have already indicated, we are planning over R300,000. Is that enough? Not really.”
The minister also conceded that the backlog is not being reduced adequately.
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