DA calls for ‘I didn’t know about the R30m’ mayor’s head to roll
Mayor Jostina Mothibe on Friday reportedly claimed ignorance of the fact that millions were invested with VBS – until she needed it for service delivery.
Madibeng Mayor Jostina Mothibe.
Following the Madibeng municipality’s appearance before the Provincial Public Accounts Committee (PPAC) on Friday, where they had to account for the R30 million invested with VBS Mutual Bank, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in North West has called on Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Zweli Mkhize to deliver on his promise and urgently intervene in the Madibeng Local Municipality.
The party alleges that despite a letter to Cogta earlier this year urging intervention, Madibeng is still operating outside all legislative frameworks and rules and they have dubbed it “one of the worst-performing municipalities in the country.”
Mayor Jostina Mothibe went on record to say she had no idea the money was invested with VBS. According to the DA, she went on to add that she only became aware of this investment when the funds were needed for service delivery.
No council resolution had been taken.
“It is therefore clear that Mayor Mothibe should be held accountable for this municipality’s dire financial situation, as she failed to provide political guidance over the budget process and priorities, as prescribed to mayors in the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA),” said SP Motswenyane, DA North West spokesperson for Provincial Public Accounts.
The party went on to call the mayor’s expenditure into question, highlighting the fact that several allegations of corruption had been levelled against Mothibe. This, while the municipality owed Eskom more than R40 million and Rand Water about R60 million.
Mayor Jostina Mothibe on a R1m trip but our taps r still dry ???????? pic.twitter.com/woETeVEarH
— Dimakatso Dk Genkoe (@DmkGenkoe) January 31, 2018
“We can no longer stand by and watch the mayor continue her extravagant lifestyle with the people’s money. The time of reckoning has come and the mayor must be investigated and charged for the gross mismanagement of funds,” adds the DA.
This is not the first time the opposition has gone after Mothibe, as they raised a motion of no confidence against her back in May.
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