ActionSA opens criminal case against Tolashe for failing to declare donation

The Democratic Alliance (DA) and ActionSA are calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to axe Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe over her failure to declare a donation ostensibly meant for the African National Congress (ANC) Women’s League and then gifting the vehicles to her children instead.

On Wednesday, ActionSA upped the ante by opening a criminal case against her in terms of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.

It’s part of a multi-pronged response that the parties are both taking, including submitting complaints to Parliament's Ethics Committee and the Public Protector.

A week ago, the Daily Maverick exposed a series of transactions that revealed Tolashe, as the President of the ANC’s Women’s League, accepted a donation of two SUVs meant for the organisation from unknown Chinese benefactors - and instead, gifted them to her children.

ActionSA’s Dereleen James said this move shows Tolashe was dishonest to Parliament when she responded in a written reply to the party that she accepted the vehicles on behalf of her party’s women’s league.

“What raises suspicion here is the minister did not declare any of these vehicles.”

James said the Electoral Commission’s political party declarations also do not show that the ANC received a donation of two vehicles worth a million rand.

“In exchange for what were these two vehicles? That’s where the concern is for me.”

Meanwhile, the DA’s Nazley Sharif said her party has also written to Ramaphosa to ask whether he gave permission for her to accept a donation worth more than the R1,000 as stipulated in the Executive Members’ Ethics Code.

The Department of Social Development said it’s still preparing a response to the complaints mounting against Tolashe.