WATCH: DA lays corruption charges against Mashatile

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has laid criminal charges against Deputy President Paul Mashatile.

DA leader, John Steenhuisen and national spokesperson Solly Malatsi laid the charges at the Cape Town Central Police Station in the Western Cape on Monday.

The party said this was in relation to a plethora of dodgy transactions following a series of explosive exposés published by numerous investigative journalists outlining the extent to which Mashatile allegedly engaged in a web of corruption and state capture spanning almost two decades dating back to his time as Gauteng MEC.

Watch: John Steenhuisen laying charges against Deputy President Paul Mashatile

No choice

Steenhuisen said he had no choice after he delivered a dossier to President Cyril Ramaphosa urging him to act against Mashatile before the state of the nation address (Sona).

“You cannot stand before the nation at the state of the nation address and talk about combatting corruption and getting to the bottom of graft and eliminating state capture in the country, then the very person occupying office across from you at the Union Buildings who himself got this serious cloud over his head.

“We wish it would have been different, we wish the president had the courage that he was undertaking an investigation, he was submitting Mr Mashatile to a lifestyle audit, but once again he’s chosen not act and we now have to step into that,” Steenhuisen said.

Steenhuisen said the party will also lay complaint with Parliaments Executive Members’ Ethics Act against Mashatile and approach the Office of the Public Protector.

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Defending Mashatile

Ramaphosa has previously defended Mashatile, saying he believed there was no suspicion of criminality in regards to his deputy’s association with certain people.

“I would have to have my own head examined to have had a deputy president appointed and thereafter [removed], because I’m the only one who could remove him unless the party decides so and then does that. So there is no truth or substance at all as far as I’m concerned,” he said at the time.

Mashatile’s spokesperson Vukani Mde told The Citizen: “A little over a week ago the DA turned up at the Union Buildings claiming they had some kind of “dossier” to present to the President.

“The Presidency issued a statement affirming that anyone that has genuine evidence of criminal wrongdoing has a right and even a duty to approach the proper authorities to report it. Regardless of what the DA does, there is nothing to add to that statement,” Mde said.

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