UDM wants premier investigated

2003-11-03 19:30

Cape Town - Allegations that Limpopo Premier Ngoako Ramatlhodi and finance MEC Thabo Mufamadi received kickbacks from a bidder awarded a tender for the province's pension payouts must be probed immediately, says the United Democratic Movement.

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said on Monday the government should appoint an independent commission of inquiry to determine whether the pair had secretly benefited from the award of the tender.

An article last month in noseweek magazine alleged the two politicians had received R5m in kickbacks from Cash Paymaster Services (CPS), the successful bidder for the province's pension payouts contract.

Holomisa said elderly people often died queuing for their grants, because pension payout management in many provinces was substandard.

"If it should be found that fraud was involved in the allocation of these tenders, the premier and MEC should be removed from office and face the full force of the law," he said.

- SAPA