NOTE: Article first appeared in The Citizen newspaper on April 29, 2014.
Another row has erupted featuring IEC boss Pansy Tlakula.
This time Tlakula, who is facing an Electoral Court hearing today, has been accused of using taxpayers’ money to pay her legal fees.
Bantu Holomisa, United Democratic Movement (UDM) president, said yesterday: “We have received information that the chief electoral officer, Mr Mosotho Moepya, has allegedly paid R500 000 from the IEC’s coffers to pay for Advocate Tlakula’s legal fees.”
The Electoral Court is set to sit in Johannesburg today to hear an application for her removal as chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) by the Multi-Party Forum.
Tlakula was found to be involved in the irregular R320 million lease of IEC Riverside Office Park building in Centurion. These findings came from a forensic investigation by PriceWaterhouseCoopers as sanctioned by the Treasury, and another by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela. Holomisa said two separate and “credible organisations have fingered this person as having done irreparable damage”.
Tlakula insists she was not accused of corruption.
Tlakula had lodged papers to review and set aside the findings and recommendations against her with the Pretoria High Court in her personal capacity, said Holomisa. In a statement yesterday Holomisa questioned “on what basis was such a large amount paid even before the review has commenced?”
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