DA chief whip Watty Watson has accused his ANC counterpart of going on a “Zuma charm offensive” at Parliament’s expense.
|||Cape Town -
DA chief whip Watty Watson has accused his ANC counterpart, Mathole Motshekga, of going on a “Zuma charm offensive” at Parliament’s expense after it emerged that the legislature hosted a conference on “Nation Building through Social Dialogue with the Religious Sector” at a cost of R2.1 million on Tuesday.
Accusing Motshekga of abusing Parliament for his own political agenda, Watson said he would write to National Assembly Speaker Max Sisulu to demand a full account of how the event and its funding had come about.
Watson said on Tuesday that for the event – at which President Jacob Zuma was the keynote speaker – R715 930 had been spent on transport for people and R438 500 on catering.
At least 1 500 delegates from faith-based organisations attended the event at Cape Town’s Good Hope Centre, which included a range of religious leaders.
Only a handful of MPs were in attendance during Zuma’s address – all but the African Christian Democratic Party’s Cheryllyn Dudley were ANC MPs.
Parliamentary spokesman Luzuko Jacobs confirmed on Tuesday night that the national legislature had funded the event at a cost of R2.1m.
Introducing Zuma to the delegates, Motshekga said the president had ensured that the ANC’s association with the interfaith movement had been strengthened. He congratulated Zuma for “working hard to unite the religious people of South Africa”.
“This gathering here, honourable president, is a result of your good work,” he said.
“This morning it came very clear… that everybody wants to see you using your second term as president of the ANC and president of the country to consolidate the good work you have started.”
Zuma received a rousing welcome before he addressed the hall on the importance of dialogue in solving the country’s problems.
Watson said no formal multiparty committee had been convened to establish, co-ordinate and approve the conference and its funding by Parliament, and no MPs had been formally invited.
“Motshekga appears to have put together the entire event by himself for his own political gain.”
Motshekga’s spokesman, Moloto Mothapo, hit back at Watson, accusing the DA of undermining reconciliation efforts.
Political Bureau