Note to Editors: Please find attached Haniff-Hoosen-Soundbite
-Come clean with the forensic investigation report unless there is something to hide.
-The DA will not allow the eThekwini administration to make promises of transparency and then retreat into secrecy.
eThekwini Municipality has a simple choice, to come clean with the people of Durban or explain what it is trying to hide.
City Manager, Musa Mbhele’s commitment yesterday to release the forensic investigation report into allegations of irregular appointments within the Metro Police, was more of a cover-up than a commitment to transparency.
If the investigation is complete there is no reason to keep the report hidden, unless there is something to hide.
The people of eThekwini deserve answers and failure to disclose the report may lead to legal action by the DA. If people are appointed to positions within the Metro Police through improper or manipulated processes, it can undermine the competence, integrity and effectiveness of the service tasked with keeping them safe.
The public has every right to know whether recruitment processes were manipulated, whether appointments were made unlawfully, who was responsible, and what consequences followed.
This investigation concerns allegations of irregular appointments within an institution entrusted with enforcing the law and protecting residents.
The public has every right to know whether recruitment processes were manipulated, whether appointments were made unlawfully, who was responsible, and what consequences followed.
The DA will not allow the eThekwini administration to make promises of transparency and then retreat into secrecy.
I have formally written to City Manager Musa Mbhele demanding the immediate release of the forensic investigation reports, including their findings and recommendations. (Attach letter here)
I have also demanded details of any irregularities identified, disciplinary action taken, corrective measures implemented, and any investigations that remain outstanding.
There must be no political sanitising, no selective disclosure, and no hiding behind bureaucratic excuses.
If there are legitimate legal grounds preventing the release of certain information, then the City must release the report with only those sections properly redacted and provide clear reasons for every redaction.
What cannot be accepted is a situation where taxpayers fund an investigation, the investigation produces findings, the City Manager promises to make those findings public, and then the administration simply refuses to deliver.
That is not transparency. That is a cover-up waiting to be explained.
eThekwini residents deserve a Metro Police service they can trust, and a municipality that answers difficult questions instead of burying uncomfortable reports.
Musa Mbhele must honour his commitment and release the forensic report immediately.
The DA will continue to expose corruption, demand accountability, and fight for an eThekwini government that puts residents before political protection.
If the City has nothing to hide, it has nothing to fear from the truth.
The people of Durban deserve to see the report.