• Key positions allegedly being filled by individuals with connections rather than competency
• Infrastructure project sabotage poses a risk to safety, well-being of KZN’s citizens
• DoT leadership failure is a betrayal of KZN’s people who rely on efficient and transparent public services
Note to Editors: Please find Riona Gokool, MPL sound bite in English
The DA will demand an independent probe following ongoing claims of nepotism and sabotage within KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN) Department of Transport (DoT).
The claims, by several candidates seeking employment, include key DoT positions being filled by individuals with connections, rather than those qualified to carry out the critical work required. This practice compromises the department’s integrity and hampers its ability to provide proper services to KZN’s residents.
The sabotage of infrastructure projects, designed to improve road safety, public transport, and infrastructure development also reflects the extent to which some officials will go to advance personal or political interests. This not only delays essential services but also poses a significant risk to the safety and well-being of KZN’s residents.
It is evident that KZN’s former government has allowed the entrenchment of a toxic culture – with party loyalists rewarded over competency – and public funds squandered through mismanagement and favouritism.
This is not only a leadership failure it is a betrayal of the people who rely on efficient and transparent public services. It also highlights the dangers of political patronage and corruption within government institutions and the severe impact this has on service delivery to our province’s people.
The DA has consistently called for a complete overhaul of KZN’s DoT to ensure it is held accountable and will call for an independent investigation into these latest claims. Those found responsible must be held accountable to the full extent of the law. The DoT’s R33billion in wasteful expenditure is yet another clear indication that a complete audit into procurement, performance, compliance, financial, lifestyle, governance and integrity and HR and staffing practices, is urgently needed.
KZN’s residents deserve a government that prioritizes good governance and effective service delivery over political patronage. This is why the DA has called management and oversight reform within provincial government departments and will continue to push for them.
As part of KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), the DA remains committed to fighting corruption and ensuring that public resources are used for the benefit of all citizens, not just a privileged few.