ID MP LANCE GREYLING CALLS ON ANC NATIONAL GENERAL COUNCIL TO RESOLVE CHANCELLOR HOUSE CONFLICT OF INTEREST
21 SEPTEMBER 2010-Independent Democrats Chief Whip Lance Greyling has today called on the ANC to finally resolve the massive conflict of interest arising from Chancellor House's shareholding of Hitachi Power Africa, calling on ‘ANC Members to demand action from their Leaders’.
Independent Democrats Chief Whip Lance Greyling has today called on the
ANC to finally resolve the massive conflict of interest arising from
Chancellor House's shareholding of Hitachi Power Africa, calling on
‘ANC Members to demand action from their Leaders’.
‘Over the past few months the public has been treated to contradictory statements from different leaders in the ANC regarding the immoral conflict of interest inherent in Chancellor House benefiting from a multi-billion rand government contract. Some ANC ministers and even the Treasurer-General himself have called on the ANC to do the right thing and ensure that Chancellor House divests its shares in Hitachi Power Africa," stated Greyling. "Unfortunately the Secretary-General of the ANC, Gwede Mantashe, has instead chosen to defend the indefensible by putting forward completely spurious arguments in favour of Chancellor House's immoral business dealings,’ Greyling says.
‘In a press conference today Gwede Mantashe made the preposterous claim that Chancellor House conducts its business in the open and that is why the ANC is able to be questioned on its actions. The Secretary-General should be well aware that it was not the ANC who first revealed the existence of its investment arm Chancellor House, but rather the channels of good investigative reporting. The ANC was also not open about Chancellor House's shareholding of Hitachi Power Africa and the massive conflict of interest in that deal. The ID has repeatedly called on the ANC to reveal the full extent of Chancellor House's business dealings so that any further possible conflicts of interests can be identified. To date, however, Chancellor House has steadfastly refused to expose its myriad of business interests,’ says Greyling.
The ANC NGC is the perfect opportunity for the ANC to finally pronounce itself on this issue and for its members to take a moral stand in line with the Polokwane Resolution where it states:
‘The ANC should champion the introduction of a comprehensive system of public funding of representative political parties in the different spheres of government and civil society organisations, as part of strengthening the tenets of our new democracy. This should include putting in place an effective regulatory architecture for private funding of political parties and civil society groups to enhance accountability and transparency to the citizenry. The incoming NEC must urgently develop guidelines and policy on public and private funding, including how to regulate investment vehicles.’
“It has been three years since the Polokwane Conference and we still have not seen any progress on the issue of regulating political party funding or for that matter investment vehicles of political parties. The ID has continued to raise this issue in Parliament but the ANC has sought to stymie all attempts to live up to the spirit of this resolution. The ID therefore hopes the ANC members will now use their National General Council to finally take a stance on this issue and ensure the fast-tracking of comprehensive party funding legislation,” stated Greyling.
End
For Media Enquiries contact Lance Greyling on 0832988553
‘Over the past few months the public has been treated to contradictory statements from different leaders in the ANC regarding the immoral conflict of interest inherent in Chancellor House benefiting from a multi-billion rand government contract. Some ANC ministers and even the Treasurer-General himself have called on the ANC to do the right thing and ensure that Chancellor House divests its shares in Hitachi Power Africa," stated Greyling. "Unfortunately the Secretary-General of the ANC, Gwede Mantashe, has instead chosen to defend the indefensible by putting forward completely spurious arguments in favour of Chancellor House's immoral business dealings,’ Greyling says.
‘In a press conference today Gwede Mantashe made the preposterous claim that Chancellor House conducts its business in the open and that is why the ANC is able to be questioned on its actions. The Secretary-General should be well aware that it was not the ANC who first revealed the existence of its investment arm Chancellor House, but rather the channels of good investigative reporting. The ANC was also not open about Chancellor House's shareholding of Hitachi Power Africa and the massive conflict of interest in that deal. The ID has repeatedly called on the ANC to reveal the full extent of Chancellor House's business dealings so that any further possible conflicts of interests can be identified. To date, however, Chancellor House has steadfastly refused to expose its myriad of business interests,’ says Greyling.
The ANC NGC is the perfect opportunity for the ANC to finally pronounce itself on this issue and for its members to take a moral stand in line with the Polokwane Resolution where it states:
‘The ANC should champion the introduction of a comprehensive system of public funding of representative political parties in the different spheres of government and civil society organisations, as part of strengthening the tenets of our new democracy. This should include putting in place an effective regulatory architecture for private funding of political parties and civil society groups to enhance accountability and transparency to the citizenry. The incoming NEC must urgently develop guidelines and policy on public and private funding, including how to regulate investment vehicles.’
“It has been three years since the Polokwane Conference and we still have not seen any progress on the issue of regulating political party funding or for that matter investment vehicles of political parties. The ID has continued to raise this issue in Parliament but the ANC has sought to stymie all attempts to live up to the spirit of this resolution. The ID therefore hopes the ANC members will now use their National General Council to finally take a stance on this issue and ensure the fast-tracking of comprehensive party funding legislation,” stated Greyling.
End
For Media Enquiries contact Lance Greyling on 0832988553
