RUSTENBURG, June (ANA) - Disgraced former North West premier Supra Mahumapelo should "put is money where is mouth is" and pay back the money his sun received for a R1 million pilot's training bursary from state-owned arms company Denel, the Democratic Alliance said on Sunday.
The decision to investigate those responsible for awarding the R1 million bursary to Mahumapelo's son, as well as the allocation of a tender to his brother, was welcomed, DA North West leader Joe McGluwa said.
"The former premier must put his money where his mouth is and pay back the money his son received, as promised during a public meeting as well as in the provincial legislature earlier this year," he said.
The African National Congress should "work responsibly with the people’s money", and the DA urged Denel to conclude this matter as soon as possible. It was imperative to also hold Denel’s former CEO Zwelakhe Ntshepe and board chairman Daniel Mantsha, who resigned, accountable for the apparent shady dealings that went down at Denel under their watch.
"Furthermore, we strongly feel that education is one of the cornerstones of our society and should be used to empower the people of North West, especially the poor. This bursary could have enriched the lives of honourable recipients," McGluwa said.
Millions of people in the North West were unemployed. The education department and schools were in dire need of fixing up and better management to improve conditions for both school pupils and teachers.
A R1 million bursary could create a future for at least 15 students who enrolled full-time for three years at one of the local universities.
"Clearly, being the premier did not put Supra, nor his son, in a position where they had to rely on the people’s money to further his son’s studies or career," McGluwa said.
- African News Agency (ANA)
