The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Siyathemba municipality welcomes the proclamation by President Cyril Ramaphosa, authorising the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) to investigate allegations of maladministration and corruption into financial matters dating back from 2016 until now.
Over the years, the DA has fought to get the municipality to address the critical lack of financial oversight within the municipality, particularly the dysfunctionality of the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC).
MPAC is responsible for examining financial statements and audit reports and recommendations. It is also mandated to investigate irregular expenditure. We heard during the recent provincial inquiry by the South African Human Rights Commission into the state of Siyathemba that, as a result of MPAC’s dysfunctionality, accumulated irregular expenditure ballooned to over R366,240 million over the last fifteen years.
Part of the reason for the dysfunctionality was the lack of financial competence in the administration and of the MPAC chairpersons, the withholding of financial statements from the committee, and a lack of political will to expose financial irregularities within Siyathemba. This crippled MPAC’s oversight duty.
The DA tabled a motion of no confidence (MONC) against the Speaker in as far back as 2018. We subsequently made repeated calls on political and municipal management to help get the committee working again. Last year, we came as far as getting a MONC against the MPAC chairperson on the agenda. The motion was unsuccessful due to opposition in council.
The time for excuses is now over. Transparency regarding the failure of officials to bank cash, as well as the entering into dodgy contracts, including the R3 million plus printer and copier contract and the Information Technology contract, which has been running unchecked for over a decade at a minimum cost of R200 000 per month, must now be scrutinized.
All legacy infrastructure projects must also be thoroughly investigated. Legacy projects in Prieska and Marydale remain unfinished with progress ranging from 40% to 99% across five stalled projects, while Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) funds have been depleted. This includes the bulk sewer line, pump station, reservoir and sewerage networks. Of particular concern to the DA is the Prieska Waterborne Gravitational Sewer Network for existing 472 erven, in the E’thembeni Plakkerskamp. Millions of rands were spent but it remains unfinished, with open trenches and some trenches filled up without pipes.
With efforts finally underway to hold the municipal administration and the relevant politicians accountable, we are hopeful that this will urge more municipal employees to come forward about wrongdoing and misconduct, and will ultimately end in criminal prosecution for those who have stolen millions of rands of taxpayers’ money.