MEC cracks down on officials implicated in R19.6m theft

Limpopo’s MEC for cooperative governance, human settlement and traditional affairs Basikopo Makamu has instructed the Sekhukhune district municipality to urgently apply consequence management against officials implicated in the recent theft of R19.6 million and related fraud and corruption.

Makamu said his department was alarmed by the recent spate of theft of funds within the municipality.

“We are concerned that the escalation of theft of municipal funds in this institution has now reached boiling point and has to stop, not next week or next year, but today,” Makamu said.

“This is not a war, all we want is how much was stolen, who is implicated and what has been done since the theft. I also want the municipality to provide me with the case number for every fraudulent or criminal incident in recent months and years. I want to personally inquire about the progress made on the investigations from the police, the Hawks and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and other related law enforcement agencies.”

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In his State of the Nation address last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa vowed to recover almost R14 billion “stolen” from taxpayers through corruption and state capture.

Ramaphosa said the SIU would mount civil claims to recoup the money over the next few months and that his government was determined to ensure that taxpayers’ money “stolen” over several years was returned to the public purse. Makamu said his actions were in line with the president’s call to ensure stolen money was returned and those implicated put behind bars for a long time.

Financial problems in the district date back to 2018 when R5.4 million was stolen from municipal accounts. The money was allegedly wrongly deposited into accounts belonging to different companies, some doing business with the municipality and others not. The municipality said yesterday that R4.8 million was recovered.

Last year in February, the municipality lost R2.2 million after officials in the finance, information and technology and accounting section double-paid a service provider R4.8 million. The municipality was able to recoup R2.2 million from the service provider.

Six months later, the municipality lost R12 million. At the time, the council claimed it was paid into the wrong accounts. The director for corporate services and two managers were suspended and cases of fraud and corruption were opened with the police and the Hawks. Municipal spokesperson Moloko Moloto said police indicated yesterday arrests were imminent.

– alexm@citizen.co.za

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