Municipality’s expenditure questioned

The Randfontein DA caucus walked out of council because of what they call the Randfontein Local Municipality condoning unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure found by the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC).

The municipality responded and denied the claims.

According to Alwyn van Tonder, chief whip of the Randfontein DA caucus, “Items were tabled by the MPAC in a council meeting on Wednesday afternoon 24 June. The items were to deal with findings and to give recommendations around investigations into unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure.”

MPAC reports indicate the total expenditure amounted to more than R128 000 000 of which R13 562 677 was identified by the Auditor General as irregular expenditure towards the salaries of 26 people appointed in the municipal political office. Some of these people were believed not to be qualified.

The municipality has since supplied the Herald with copies of 23 of the 26 individuals’ qualifications to prove their eligibility for their positions.

The DA says that most of the expenses can be condoned by council as they understand one cannot always follow the correct supply chain.

However, the DA feels that some matters were overlooked:

• The office of the chief whip spent R134 211 000 on an ANC lekgotla (conference) held at the Riverstone Lodge but this not even was questioned

• The findings and recommendations on the KPMG report were ignored

• The MPAC chairperson could not respond adequately to questions posed by the DA

• No disciplinary steps or recovery of monies were recommended

In his response, Tshidiso Tlharipe, the spokesperson for the Randfontein Executive Mayor firstly defined unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure:

• Unauthorised – An expenditure that is budgeted for but exceeds the budgeted amount when something is procured

• Fruitless and wasteful expenditure – An expenditure that is budgeted for but a product is procured that does not meet the requirements

• Irregular – An expenditure that is budgeted for but the process to acquire the product as outlined by the supply chain is not followed

With regard to the lekgotla, Tlharipe said, “It was not part of the council agenda on 24 June.”

On the KPMG report, Tlharipe stated, “The outstanding report is from the accounting officer on those who might have flouted procedures and will be presented in the next ordinary council meeting.”

Lastly, with regard to the MPAC report Tlharipe responded, “In the case of any unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred by any of the municipality’s directorates, MPAC will have the right to call upon the affected directorates to provide it with written information and respond to an alleged deviation in the said department. Based on its findings, MPAC then develops a report for presentation to council, upon which a council resolution is passed on the matter. It is within the prescript of functionality of MPAC in case there are criminal charges that must be pursued that a report with clear recommendations must be presented to council for consideration.

It is important to further note the DA has three representatives in the MPAC committee namely councillors Beaufort, Kruger and Francis who were part of the deliberation and consideration of the item as presented to council on 24 June2015. It is opportunistic on their part to distance themselves from a report they generated.

“We value the relationship with the DA and urge them to hold the executive accountable continuously; this will enhance the process of the executive leading with intentions of transparency.”