The Democratic Alliance has called on Parliament to probe claims that Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs, Dr Zweli Mkhize, had received a R4.5 million “kickback” in return for facilitating a R210 million loan from the Public Investment Corporation must be probed by Parliament.
Mkhize rejected the claims published in the Sunday Times.
But, DA MP, David Maynier, said this was just one of several questionable investments made by the Public Investment Corporation, which up until now have included Ayo Technology Solutions Limited, Sagarmatha Technologies Limited, Steinhoff International Holdings N.V. and VBS Mutual Bank.
‘The fact is that hardly a day goes by without a new scandal surrounding questionable investments emerging at the Public Investment Corporation,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
Maynier said Parliament’s finance committee has proved completely ineffective at probing the questionable investments made by the Public Investment Corporation.
‘We are prohibited from cross-examining senior executives and simply do not receive straight answers to straight questions put to the Public Investment Corporation,” he said.
Maynier said he would call on the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Themba Godi, requesting him to schedule a hearing probing allegations surrounding irregular payments and questionable investments at the Public Investment Corporation.
“The hearing should probe the allegation that the Minister of Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs, Dr Zweli Mkhize, received a R4.5 million “kickback” for facilitating a R210 million loan from the Public Investment Corporation,” he said.
