NATIONAL NEWS - Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng leader John Moodey has issued a press release accusing Premier David Makhura of having admitted that the ANC’s Johannesburg government stole billions meant for the Alexandra Renewal Project.
Makhura called for an audit of the project, saying he “dismisses any notion that national government put billions of rands into the Alexandra Renewal Project”.
According to Moodey, Makhura also made an “interesting admission” that the “former ANC administration stole the R1.7 billion allocated to the Alex Renewal Project”.
Where the figure of R1.7 billion comes from is unclear, as according to Wikipedia the estimated budget for the project was R1.3 billion over seven years, with the City of Johannesburg websitealso stating the national government allocated R1.3 billion for the project.
READ MORE: ‘ANC councillors are the leaders’ of the Alex shutdown – Mashaba
Moodey’s statement accuses a “desperate” ANC of trying to “mislead and confuse the public”, further alleging that the Alex shutdown had been carried out by ANC members “leading a programme of violence and civil unrest, and in so doing abusing the legitimate concerns and needs of Alex residents”.
Turning his attention to the money meant for the Alex Renewal Project, Moodey said: “Makhura stated that a full audit into the stolen Alex Renewal Project will be conducted. The project announced in 2001 by former president Thabo Mbeki never fully got off the ground, yet the billions allocated for development in Alex were never accounted for.
“Presumably, these funds meant for the people of Alex ended up in the pockets of ANC politicians, who were rejected by the people of Johannesburg in 2016.
READ MORE: ANC has silenced legitimate concerns of Alex – Mashaba
“The Democratic Alliance (DA) has long called for accountability for these stolen funds and presented evidence but this has fallen on deaf ears.
“Now that the ANC no longer governs Johannesburg and faces losing Gauteng, they have resorted to a coordinated programme of anarchy and criminality in Alex, which has backfired, with the people of South Africa seeing through the lies and deception of the ANC.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa and Premier Makhura have done nothing but watch as their members criminalise and hijack the community of Alex for their own narrow political means, all while the people suffer.”
Read the full article here on the Caxton publication, The Citizen.
