HOEDSPRUIT: Under resourced municipality pays R6million for waste removal

According to the president of Civic Warriors of Maruleng, Poopo Mohlabe, the contract assigned to the waste removal company is set to receive a 15% raise on a yearly basis which will cost the municipality roughly R20 million at the end of their contract.

“Following the councils decision, the Municipal Manager decided to outsource without the councils resolution.

“We had agreed, as the council, that with the R6 million, the municipality will be able to purchase its own trucks and will be able to save and improve on service delivery”, stated Mohlabe.

Read: Radebe visits Maruleng Municipality

“We discovered that the waste removal service was outsourced when we were scheduled to attend a strategic planning meeting which was collapsed due to the fact that the Municipal Manager failed to provide a satisfactory explanation”, he added.

Looking in from outside, the Municipality’s administration looks like a one-man show, as Lethole undermines the authority of council.

This has led other directors and officials to do likewise.

Furthermore Councilors from the opposition parties in the Maruleng municipality have opened a case of fraud against the Municipal Manager with the SAPS Hoedspruit police station.

Lethole was initially seconded to the Maruleng Municipality by the Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement, and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA) then withdrawn due to accusations of misconduct before he was employed as a full-time Municipal Manager.

It is further alleged that the Municipal Manager has adjusted his salary without council’s authorization.

It will take a total commitment of the opposition councillors and an unwavering determination by the community to stop the rot.

All attempts to contact the Maruleng Municipality spokesman John Seokoma drew a blank as all calls were left unanswered.