Lifestyle audits could have unveiled Mashatile's alleged corruption - Steenhuisen

CAPE TOWN - Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen said if President Cyril Ramaphosa kept his commitment to conduct lifestyle audits on his Cabinet, corruption allegations levelled against his deputy, Paul Mashatile, would have been unearthed long ago. 

In a series of investigative reports by News24, Mashatile is implicated in a web of dodgy housing development transactions dating back to his time as a Gauteng MEC two decades ago. 

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On Monday, Steenhuisen delivered a prepared charge sheet to the Cape Town central police station detailing the allegations in terms of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act. 

After a turn at the Union Buildings ten days ago, Steenhuisen said he heeded Ramaphosa’s advice to lay a formal complaint against Mashatile with the police as a second step to have the Hawks investigate the matter further. 

In its charge sheet, the DA implicates Mashatile in four counts of corruption related to housing projects in Diepsloot East, dating back to 2006. 

Steenhuisen said there was no need for Ramaphosa to wait for a police investigation to be concluded before he could remove his deputy. 

“Surely he would have called Mr. Mashatile in by now, demanding to know how he lives this lifestyle on the income that he has, and without a decent explanation indicate to him that he doesn’t think it’s in the country’s best interest for the fight against corruption for him to continue in office.”

Steenhuisen said the party would also be laying complaints with Parliament and the Public Protector’s office.