WEBVTT - DA lays criminal charges against Minister

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<v Speaker 1>Well, let's stay with charges, but at a much earlier

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<v Speaker 1>stage of the process. The Democratic Alliance today laying criminal

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<v Speaker 1>charges against the Higher Education Minister Norborslet and Carbine. This

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<v Speaker 1>in regard to a number of things lying to Parliament

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<v Speaker 1>and also questions of a dodgy appointment of boards to

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<v Speaker 1>various sector education training authorities. Lindsay Dandlinger, another of our

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<v Speaker 1>EWN team, has the latest on this story. Lindsay, do

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<v Speaker 1>you have a sense of what the DA is trying

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<v Speaker 1>to achieve with this, because you could argue that politically

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<v Speaker 1>this makes it even more difficult for President saw Ramapousa

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<v Speaker 1>to move against Minister and Carbine. If she's squarely in

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<v Speaker 1>the DA sites, his instinct may actually be to keep

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<v Speaker 1>her for longer than he than he perhaps intended.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, John, I think as much as the DA might

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<v Speaker 2>want to deny it and to make this purely a

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<v Speaker 2>point about the right thing about holding people accountable in

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<v Speaker 2>terms of the law, I think we cannot discount that

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<v Speaker 2>there is political theater at plague here. This is a

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<v Speaker 2>retaliatory move for firing Andrew Whitfield as the Deputy Minister

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<v Speaker 2>of Trade. The DA has said as much over the weekend.

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<v Speaker 2>That all transgressions cannot be viewed as equal, and that

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<v Speaker 2>it is unacceptable that nothing is being done about the

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<v Speaker 2>Higher Education Minister, who, incidentally this hour is in the

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<v Speaker 2>National Council of Provinces and facing the heat again from

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<v Speaker 2>Damps over the theater matter as she delivers her budget

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<v Speaker 2>vote in the National Council of Provinces today and interestingly

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<v Speaker 2>has steered clear of mentioning anything related to those boards

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<v Speaker 2>as she delivered that by the address. But the DA

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<v Speaker 2>saying that although they've already laid a complaint with parliam Ethicxtimotee,

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<v Speaker 2>they've also laid a complaint with the Public Protector. This

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<v Speaker 2>is the third leg of their approach, which is to

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<v Speaker 2>hold in Cabane accountable in terms of the law, and

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<v Speaker 2>that in their view there is already enough evidence to

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<v Speaker 2>suggest that she's contrademned the Powers, Privileges and Immunities Act

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<v Speaker 2>of Parliament. And you will recall John that many years

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<v Speaker 2>ago now. But this is incredentally the same law and

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<v Speaker 2>the same provision that was used to charge and ultimately

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<v Speaker 2>sentenced former anc MP Tony and Genny. And so the

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<v Speaker 2>DA says, if it could be used against him, there

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<v Speaker 2>is President that the Booklyn Cabane is guilty of, although

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<v Speaker 2>not the exact same circumstances, by a similar offense, and

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<v Speaker 2>that is misleading Parliament, which that acts ye to be

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<v Speaker 2>a charge of fraud essentially.

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<v Speaker 1>Lindsay, let's look a little bit ahead and then steer

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<v Speaker 1>me straight if I'm off the road. But my understanding

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<v Speaker 1>is the DA is talking about not voting in favor

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<v Speaker 1>of the Minister of Higher Education's budget. I mean, it

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<v Speaker 1>isn't really the minister's budget, it's the department's budget. What

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<v Speaker 1>I want to ask of you because you followed the

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<v Speaker 1>kind of voting patterns around the budget very very carefully

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<v Speaker 1>in all its iterations. If they were to take that step,

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<v Speaker 1>would that again be symbolic or could it lead to

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<v Speaker 1>the budget actually not being passed.

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<v Speaker 2>No, it would rather be symbolic, John, because the matter

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<v Speaker 2>which they are complaining about, not to discount that it

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<v Speaker 2>is an oversight matter. It is a matter of concern.

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<v Speaker 2>It cannot have the effect of withholding money for a department.

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<v Speaker 2>So even though the DA is currently arguing in the

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<v Speaker 2>National Accouncil of Provinces as we speak that this particular

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<v Speaker 2>minister cannot be trusted with these billions and billions of

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<v Speaker 2>rand they reckon. She's reckless with it. She cannot be

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<v Speaker 2>trusted not to commit further corruption. It handles this money

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<v Speaker 2>withholding the vote for that particular department won't have an

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<v Speaker 2>effect on the entire Appropriation Bill, which is the final

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<v Speaker 2>leg of the budget. It's the ball that contains all

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<v Speaker 2>the various allocations to all the departments. And so very

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<v Speaker 2>much like we've seen in the past, where we know

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<v Speaker 2>that the DA when they were in opposition they regularly

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<v Speaker 2>voted against the budget both of various departments. Is really

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<v Speaker 2>something that will be recorded for record purposes, but the

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<v Speaker 2>two don't match.

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<v Speaker 1>You.

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<v Speaker 2>There is no way in which the money can be

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<v Speaker 2>withheld from that particular department because a political party doesn't

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<v Speaker 2>like a way in which she's acted, or they don't

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<v Speaker 2>approve of the minister. These things will come under discussion

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<v Speaker 2>before it gets to the House in the next four weeks,

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<v Speaker 2>so it will be under discussion in the Appropriations Committee.

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<v Speaker 2>It is in that committee where the political parties can

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<v Speaker 2>register their unhappiness with a particular issue, whether that be

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<v Speaker 2>a monetary issue, in which case they do then have

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<v Speaker 2>the right to make amendments, perhaps to change money here

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<v Speaker 2>or there, but they cannot do that on the basis

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<v Speaker 2>of the fact that they don't approve of the incumbent

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<v Speaker 2>in that post. So it will largely be symbolic and

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<v Speaker 2>I don't think, I don't believe that it will have

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<v Speaker 2>the effect of collapsing the budget. And incidentally, the DA

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<v Speaker 2>has said they will vote for the Appropriation Bill in

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<v Speaker 2>its entirety, but it's really a symbolic measure to indicate

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<v Speaker 2>their displeasure with the minister and this particular issue.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks so much, Lindsay Dentlinger, EDW and Reporter are always

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<v Speaker 1>keeping us up to date and on track with what's

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<v Speaker 1>happening down in Parliament. It's twenty nine minutes to foll