REFILWE MEKOA
The Northern Cape DA calls for Premier Sylvia Lucas to be investigated.
DA’s Harold McGluwa says they have requested the public protector, Thuli Madonsela, to probe Lucas’s alleged abuse of a state credit card. Lucas was reported to have misused her official credit card to buy fast food and groceries of more than R53 000 in her first 10 weeks in office.
McGluwa says they condemn the alleged abuse of state funds that shows violation of executives’ ethics code. He says they have also requested the Auditor-general to investigate. Provincial spokesperson Monwabisi Nkompela says Lucas has done nothing wrong in terms of what the credit card has been used for. He says they will not entertain DA’s cheap politics.
“Whenever she travels out of office with her security team she uses the credit card to buy water and energy drinks to sustain themselves on the long distances of the province. Secondly she uses her credit card when she hosts high profile guests in the office and there is nothing wrong with that,” he says.
Nkompela says Lucas has never bought groceries, jewellery or hosted a party with the state credit card like it has been reported. He says the media report was malicious and intended to tarnish the image of Lucas and they are confident of the outcome of the investigation.
