Note to editors: Please find English soundbite by Refiloe Nt’sekhe MPL
The Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Mbali Hlophe, has lied to the Gauteng residents that she was not aware that the department hired an alleged sex pest to conduct a forensic audit of NPOs, putting the safety and well-being of employees at risk.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has a letter sent out by the Head of Department to all senior managers stating that the department has appointed FSG Africa (Pty) Ltd, led by Mr. Vernon Naidoo (CEO) to conduct a forensic audit on NPOs.
See the letter here.
This is a clear indication that the MEC lied during an oral reply to the DA’s questions in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) by stating that she was not aware of the hiring of Naidoo and using the fact that it was not her job to contract companies. This was confusing because MECs are responsible to answer questions in the legislature on behalf of their departments as the executive heads.
In an attempt to hide her incompetency, MEC Hlophe released a media statement accusing the DA of lying about the department recruiting an alleged sex offender and claiming that we are trying to defame her.
This blatant lie reinforces what we already know: that she is an unfit leader. The residents of Gauteng deserve an MEC who is fully aware of the inner workings of their department and willing to take responsibility when things go wrong rather than resorting to lying and misleading them. If the MEC cared about Gauteng residents and took seriously the fight against gender-based violence in our society, she would have accepted the failure to vet Naidoo and apologised, but she chose to lie.
This is not surprising, though; under her leadership, NPOs have ceased operations, employees are being subjected to prolonged suspensions exceeding legal boundaries, and dissenting voices have been suppressed.
The upcoming election on 29 May in Gauteng offers residents the chance to choose between a DA government committed to honesty and integrity or a failing government plagued by incompetence, lies, and scandals.