16 FEBRUARY 2020
Statement by Brett Herron, Western Cape MPL and Secretary-General for GOOD
HOW THE WESTERN CAPE DA LOOKS AFTER ITS FRIENDS
New information supplied to GOOD’s corruption desk reveals two strategies the DA uses to look after its friends in the Western Cape at taxpayer’s expense.
The one strategy is what the DA calls “cadre deployment”. The second should perhaps be termed “reverse cadre deployment”, involving a state official exiting state employment to take up a fat government tender.
Case Study One
Former DA Member and Deputy Speaker of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, Piet Pretorius, lost his livelihood last year when he did not return to the legislature following the May elections.
To cushion the blow, it has come to light, Pretorius has been appointed as a consultant to the Secretary of Parliament. It is unclear what process was followed to get Pretorius appointed, why there is a need for a consultant to the Secretary of Parliament, or how much it will cost the province.
I have written to the Secretary of Parliament asking him to clarify these questions.
It bears mentioning that “cadre deployment” is the tool that successfully brought control of government entities under the ANC and paved the way for rampant theft. According to the DA, it appoints people on merit where it governs and doesn’t take account of political affiliation.
Case Study Two
A lucky Western Cape Government official recently left state service and was awarded a R12 million tender to continue doing the job he was doing while employed by the state.
Mr Hector Elliot was appointed by former DA Transport and Public Works MEC, Robin Carlisle, as his head of ministry – a political appointment – some years ago. After Carlisle’s retirement, Elliot was retained in the employment of the Western Cape government as a Strategic Coordinator for the province’s flagship road safety campaign “Safely Home”.
Months before the 2019 elections, Eliott was awarded a three-year tender, trading as Bearfish Consulting, to provide “strategic and tactical support services, programme and project management services” to the Department of Transport and Public Works. Information provided to the GOOD Corruption Desk indicates the tender relates to the implementation of “Safely Home”.
The Democratic Alliance must explain to the people of the Western Cape how all of this occurred. I have submitted appropriate questions to DA Provincial Leader and current MEC for Transport and Public Works, Bonginkosi Madikizela.