Note to editors: Please find attached soundbite by Micheal Waters MPL.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi is using the Department of e-Government to purchase equipment on behalf of the Department of Community Safety. The Democratic Alliance (DA) believes that these purchases by e-Government are irregular, may contravene the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), and represent a misuse of public funds.
These shocking revelations emerged during a recent meeting of the Gauteng Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on e-Government, where it was confirmed that the Department of e-Government has been purchasing equipment on behalf of the Department of Community Safety.
Since the 2023/24 financial year, over R170 million has been spent by e-Government on items that fall outside its core mandate, including:
- R117 million on e-panic buttons and private-sector response services.
- R53 million on the purchase of CCTV cameras; and
- R900 000 on the purchase of five drones.
All these items should have been procured and paid for by the Department of Community Safety, which falls directly under Premier Panyaza Lesufi.
It is now abundantly clear that Lesufi has been using the Department of e-Government as a piggy bank to fund his Community Safety projects and boost his public image while simultaneously crippling e-Government through budget cuts and the diversion of critical funds away from its core technology functions.
This is not the first time the Premier has bent the rules. The Public Protector recently found that Lesufi’s government irregularly appointed and deployed thousands of so-called crime prevention wardens, “Amapanyaza”, costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of rands and without any lawful basis.
We will be writing to the Auditor-General to request a formal investigation into these transactions and to determine whether they amount to financial misconduct and a violation of procurement laws.