‘Institutionalised corruption’ – SIU report shows how Limpopo govt officials looted state coffers

Six Limpopo municipalities are being investigated for corruption, theft, forgery and contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).

Recent revelations in the SIU’s report to parliament have shown the extent to which Limpopo local government officials looted state coffers, running to hundreds of millions of rands. The report revealed that six municipalities were being investigated with two been finalised, waiting for further action.

Sekhukhune, Mopani and Vhembe

The Mokgalakwena local municipality and the Sekhukhune district municipality are, according to the report, being investigated.

“Those investigated include three of the five districts such as Sekhukhune, Mopani and Vhembe. Of the three, only Vhembe district’s report has been finalised,” stated the report.

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The report further revealed there were 99 cases referred for disciplinary and executive action, and a further 89 referred to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), while 35 referrals were made for administrative action.

The report also revealed 48 officials from Mopani had been referred to the NPA over fraud and contraventions of the Migration Policy Framework for Africa, while 19 officials from Sekhukhune were referred to the NPA for fraud, theft, forgery and contraventions of the MFMA.

The full extent of financial losses incurred, the report said, was yet to be determined. But it added that there were three civil actions on dodgy contracts worth more than R544 million underway.

“To date, only R40 million has been recovered through acknowledgement of debts agreements,” said the report.

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Procurement irregularities, poor record-keeping, employment irregularities, poor leadership, poor governance, inadequate risk management and lack of consequence management were identified as some of the major reasons behind the rampant corruption.

The SIU revelations have angered opposition parties in Limpopo.

SIU report welcomed

The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomed the report and the action taken by the SIU.

“We cannot allow these rotten cadres to remain in public service. They must be dismissed and, where possible, criminal cases must be opened,” said DA MPL Desiree van der Walt.

The Bolsheviks called on the SIU to work with speed to bring the cases to finality. The party said under the ANC, corruption was institutionalised.

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“We want all those entangled in corruption to be arrested and made to spend a long time behind bars,” said party general secretary Seun Mogotji yesterday.

The Economic Freedom Fighters’ provincial chair, Tshilidzi Maraga, said it was time for people to realise “there was nothing the ANC is good about except for being masters of corruption”.

“Our people must show they hate corruption by voting the ANC out of power next year because the party is like a pig which eats its own piglets when hungry. I say so because these monies they stole belonged to the people of Limpopo,” she said.

– news@citizen.co.za