Airport revamp: North West MEC denies R100m has ‘gone missing’

North West community safety and transport management MEC Sello Lehari has dismissed allegations that more than R100 million, earmarked to renovate the dilapidated Dick Montshioa Airport in Mahikeng and Pilanesberg International Airport in Rustenburg, has gone missing.

Media reports alleged that R40 million had been allocated to the refurbishment and renovation projects in the 2020-21 financial year and R44 million in 2021-22. More than R100 million was reportedly allocated to the projects over three years.

During a press conference in Mahikeng last Friday, Lehari said “there have been several allegations on media platforms made against the department that over R100 million had gone missing”.

“This R100 million was supposedly budgeted for renovation of the GD Montshioa Airport in Mahikeng and the Pilanesberg International Airport. Therefore, the money being referred to, as having been used for GD Montshioa Airport was actually spent at Pilanesberg International Airport but the budget was far less than the figures mentioned,” Lehari said.

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The budget allocation for the renovations at Pilanesberg International Airport in the last five years, he said, was more than R64.9 million, but only R53.5 million had been used.

The Citizen last month reported on the appalling state of the once-attractive Dick Montshioa Airport. The glass windows in the buildings were allegedly broken, the ceilings had been torn open, exposing the roof, the seats in the security patrol room were tattered and the overgrown grass made it difficult to see the buildings from afar.

This was not the first time Lehari and his department had come under public scrutiny.

He handed over about 20 carts last year in Dibono village near Mahikeng. The public was not convinced the R780 000 they allegedly cost could be used to purchase only 20 carts, and then they broke after being handed over.

The North West transport department’s internal investigation found no wrongdoing in the controversial donkey cart project.

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The department has been subject to a number of Special Investigating Unit (SI) probes, into the R780 000 donkey carts, scholar transport contracts and the R253 million SA Express case recommended for investigation by the Zondo Commission.

ActionSA claimed to have written to the office of the Auditor-General (AG) to request an urgent investigation into reports that more than R100 million earmarked for renovations at Montshioa and Pilanesberg airports had gone missing.

“We hope the AG’s investigation will produce concrete outcomes which I will use to lay criminal charges against those implicated,” said ActionSA’s North West chair Kwena Mangope.

Lehari is expected to appear before the North West provincial legislature on a number of corruption allegations made against his department.

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