The Office of the MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Willies Mchunu, is baffled beyond belief by suggestions made by the Honourable member of the DA, Radley Keys that the MEC failed to brief the Portfolio Committee about the latest developments regarding the unfortunate incident of the death of RTI candidates during the recruitment exercise last year.
The MEC views the Honourable Mr Keys’ statement as mischievous and a clear attempt to seek populism.
Indeed the MEC did conduct an internal enquiry into the unfortunate events of December last year and submitted a report to the Honourable Premier. It was upon the receipt of this report that the Honourable Premier announced the commission of enquiry.
Since the incident happened, the MEC was the first to inform the nation of the tragic death of eight young applicants and made an undertaking to investigate this matter and to report to the Premier. The commission is a public event and all those wishing to partake in it, including the Honourable Mr Keys are free to do so.
Even when the Premier announced the Commission of Enquiry, the MEC made an undertaking to cooperate and to comply with all the findings of the commission.
Today the MEC addressed the portfolio committee on Transport on the incident that happened in December last year and shared with members that the matter is now with the commission.
However, Mr Keys suggested that the Department of Transport should run a counter inquiry to the one ordered by the province. This was out rightly rejected by the MEC as a "silly" suggestion.
“We view attempts by Mr Keys as a means of seeking attention and publicity over this sensitive incident involving the loss of lives as absurd and totally devoid of the spirit of Ubuntu. Clearly such a matter should not be used for political grand standing and we urge the Honourable Mr Keys to resist this temptation to seek to engage on political point scoring over this issue,” said Mchunu.
Media contact:
Kwanele Ncalane
Cell: 072 803 1462 or 079 699 5155
