Rise Mzansi has called on the Deputy Minister of Small Business Development, Dipuo Peters, to resign from her duties with immediate effect, following adverse findings against her.
The former minister of transport has been found in breach of the ethics code for her state capture-era conduct relating to the looting and decimation of the Public Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).
The committee recommended that Peters be sanctioned for state capture breaches at Prasa, and may not attend parliamentary sitting for a single term.
The party welcomed Parliament’s Joint Committee on Ethics and Members’ Interests’ findings. The committee’s findings echoed the High Court ruling that Peters breached her constitutional obligations by engaging in unlawful conduct.
The party also commended the ethics board for holding Peters to account, albeit following a High Court finding.
"We implore Parliament to heed Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s plea for key arms of government to fulfil their constitutional mandates and hold the executive to account, including on the distressing findings of the State Capture Commission. This is in the interest of fostering ethical behaviour in the public service," it said.
Rise Mzansi extended the call to President Cyril Ramaphosa to demonstrate his commitment to "ethical public leadership" by firing Peters immediately.
"President Cyril Ramaphosa must fire her with immediate effect," it said.
In a statement, Rise Mzansi said Peters' continued services in the executive were untenable and undermined the rule of law.
According to the party, Peters should not have been appointed to any public office position after the 2017 High Court judgment that found her to have violated the Constitution.
"It is unsurprising and a huge indictment on President Ramaphosa that he continued to appoint Deputy Minister Peters into the executive after the High Court findings," it said.
Furthermore, Rise Mzansi has reiterated its call for Parliament and President Ramaphosa’s Executive to urgently implement the findings of the Zondo Commission of Inquiry.
"We, however, wish to remind South Africans that voting for Rise Mzansi in 2024 is the ultimate solution to ANC misrule and impunity," it said.
It stated that 2024 would stand as a moment where South Africans could elect new leaders with new answers to building the South Africa we all deserve.
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