KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube has commended the Provincial Legislature and six provincial departments for obtaining clean audits for the financial year 2022/23.
The Office of the Premier, Economic Development Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Provincial Treasury, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Community Safety and Liaison, Agriculture and Rural Development, have all received unqualified audits with no findings.
“This deepens our resolve and commitment to good, clean, ethical and transparent governance while accelerating service delivery, addressing poverty, unemployment and inequality. We will work hard to ensure that every department in the province achieves a clean audit and work together with those that may have some challenges,” Nomusa-Dube said.
Premier not investigated by SIU
Meanwhile, the Office of the Premier said the Premier is not the subject of an investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), nor under investigation by any agency.
This follows the SIU announcement on Tuesday, that it would investigate allegations of maladministration in the affairs of the Office of the Premier in KwaZulu-Natal, after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a Proclamation authorising the unit to investigate allegations dating back to 2007.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Office of the Premier noted that a false narrative has been peddled by some mischievous members of the media, analysts and politicians, that the Premier is being probed for wrong-doing.
The provincial government warned that such a narrative is a colossal misrepresentation of facts, which has also been dispelled by the SIU in its announcement of the probe and subsequent media engagements.
“While the Proclamation clearly states that it covers allegations of unlawful and improper conduct that took place between 1 April 2007 and 29 July 2023, the investigation is not targeted at the Premier or Executive Authority, personally.
“Probes of this nature are information seeking based on reports of previous investigations. The SIU is at the beginning of its probe into the office and is not investigating the incumbent during the period of interest. We reject insinuations by members of the opposition that this is about Premier Dube-Ncube or any of her predecessors," the Office of the Premier said.
It added that it views any narrative or reporting that suggests otherwise, when the facts are clear, to be "mischievous and out of order".
“Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube welcomes any probe into any activity covering any period relating to the KwaZulu-Natal Office of the Premier. We wish to assure the people of KwaZulu-Natal that the Office will cooperate fully with the SIU and make sure that all relevant matters are finalised as soon as possible.
“The Premier and her administration will not be distracted from a singular focus and commitment of leading a transparent, ethical and accountable provincial government while accelerating service delivery to our people. This is clearly reflected the Office of the Premier and five other provincial departments, including the Provincial Legislature attaining clean audits for the 2022/23 financial year,” the Office of the Premier said. – SAnews.gov.za
