UNITED DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT

MEDIA RELEASE

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CANNOT ACCOUNT FOR WOUTER BASSON EXPENSES

STATEMENT ISSUED BY JAKES MASEKA, MP
UDM SPOKESPERSON FOR JUSTICE AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Department of Justice seems incapable of extricating it from the financial and management morass that it finds itself in. The latest indication of this is the handling of the Wouter Basson trial.

In a reply to a parliamentary question the Minister of Justice could only say the following regarding the costs thus far, and expected final costs of this case to the taxpayer:

"It is according to the National Director of Public Prosecutions an impossible task to quantify the expenses incurred in the Wouter Basson case at this stage as there is no central office responsible for the payment of the expenses. Figures supplied at this stage might also be misleading and it is suggested that a proper audit be conducted after the finalisation of the matter."

It is difficult not to conclude from this ridiculous response that the department has no control over expenditure. How is this case being funded, and what happened to basic financial management and budgeting? Are we to understand that any red herring can be chased through our courts with no financial control or oversight? Is this possibly an admission that millions of rands cannot be properly accounted for, or is this rather a weak attempt at avoiding an embarrassing situation?

The case has not been concluded, and far be it for the UDM to comment on the possible outcome, but government must realise that SA taxpayers will eventually want to know whether they got value for their money. It is no surprise that ordinary people struggle to get justice out of a Department that struggles to properly manage its flagship court case.

Enquiries:
Mr Jakes Maseka, MP
UDM Spokesperson for Justice and Constitutional Development

Cape Town
28 September 2001