Is Limpopo money safe with Mahoai?

We doubt that newly minted Limpopo premier Phophi Ramathuba would have been aware of the irony in her words that the people chosen for her provincial Cabinet had a “proven track record” and an “unwavering commitment to the values and principles that underpin our democracy”.

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That’s because we doubt that any ANC apparatchik – and she is one – would believe there was anything wrong with appointing someone to head a critical money department who was fired from another government department for gross violations of financial regulations.

Yet, Kgabo Mahoai, who was fired as directorgeneral of the department of international relations and cooperation over dodgy financial authorisations, is the man Ramathuba has chosen to be head of Treasury in Limpopo.

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Mahoai was found guilty of cross negligence, cross dereliction of duty, breach of legal obligation, as well as irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure after he signed off on R118 million spent on a failed attempt to arrange accommodation for a SA mission in New York.

Even the ANC couldn’t ignore that, and President Cyril Ramaphosa himself ordered that action be taken. What does it take for someone to be blocked from the ANC trough? That is something for the people of Limpopo to ponder.