ANC FS Caucus rubbishes opposition party claims

Local News/ 21 February 2020, 20:45pm / The Insider Reporter

Free State Legislature ChiefWhip Vusimusi Tshabalala during the interview with Bloemfontein based Radio Station Motheo FM: image supplied   

Bloemfontein: The ANC Free State Caucus rubbished remarks made by the Opposition party Democratic Alliance (DA) on the recent site visit conducted by the Joint Committee on Public Accounts and Economic Development and Agriculture Committees.

This comes after DA Leader in the Free State Legislature Roy Jankielsohn, accused provincial government led by ANC that it intends on throwing more taxpayers’ money into a single plant in an attempt to justify the initial wasteful expenditure in order to protect former Premier Ace Magashule.

During the Interview with Bloemfontein Based Radio Station Motheo FM, Free State Legislature Chief-Whip Vusimusi Tshabalala, said the DA remarks are unfortunate and misleading.

According to him the site visit was meant to empower newly elected members of the Free State Provincial Legislature with a first hand account of the project.

“The clear objective of the DA is not to present facts, but to cast aspersions on Members of Free State Provincial Legislature, particularly those from the ANC as people who are failing to do the oversight work for which they have been elected to do.

This is precisely one of the reasons why the DA in the Fee State Legislature continues to remain an irrelevant and politically tone deaf organisation.” Said Tshabalala

The Free State Legislature ChiefWhip outlined that the matter of the Vrede Dairy project fell within the mandate of the 5th administration of the Free State Legislature.

“During that period, a Joint Committee was established through a majority by the African National Congress. This is in stark contrast to the DA’s claims about the ANC being reluctant in seeing the importance of holding the executive (in this case being the Free State Department of Agriculture and Rural Development) accountable.

Secondly, the matter (Vrede Dairy project) is among the outstanding matters from the previous administration which the ANC as the majority party deemed it necessary to be revisited and brought to its conclusion whereas the standard practice in the Free State Legislature is that when a committee fails to resolve a matter within its term, the matter automatically expires (apart from Petitions) however it is the prerogative of the new administration to decide.

The conduct of the DA is confirmation that this party does not see legislatures as forums for the contestation of ideas, advancement of building an activist legislature that champions democracy and accountability.” Said Tshabala