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Yesterday, Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, blocked DA Members of Parliament from an oversight of the Directorate for Conventional Arms Control (DCAC), through a telephonic instruction to Acting Director of the DCAC, Peter Mashaba.

Due to this effort to avoid accountability, we will report Minister Ntshavheni to the Parliamentary Ethics Committee.

It should come as no surprise that the Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, is no fan of transparency, having not answered to her alleged case awaiting prosecution while she was Municipal Manager of Ba-Phalaborwa.

Minister Ntshavheni has no right to block other elected representatives from their oversight functions.

Adding to this undemocratic obstruction, Chief of the SANDF, General Rudzani Maphwanya, personally intervened to further block our visit. We were kept waiting for over an hour before General Maphwanya arrived with Acting Director Mashaba, questioning how we had gained access to the premises and demanding written authorisation from the Minister of Defence.

This act is in direct contradiction to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent State of the Nation Address, where he emphasised the government’s commitment to good governance and a capable state.

We also reiterate our call that Ministers under criminal investigation or awaiting prosecuting by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) should not be in Cabinet.

Issued by Chris Hattingh MP & Nicholas Gotsell MP -