Political organisations call for heads to roll at the Rand West City Local Municipality after findings of fraud, corruption and maladministration were recently revealed by Gauteng MEC, Lebogang Maile.
“The DA welcomes the findings; it is a positive step towards rooting out corruption in the municipality. Our caucus members have been raising these issues for years now, but it fell on deaf ears,” Jacques Julius, DA member of Parliament said.
Also read: MEC finds maladministration, fraud, corruption and malpractice in Rand West City Local Municipality
However, Julius said what had been discovered was just the tip of the iceberg. “More politicians must be held accountable for all the failed and unfinished projects, wastage and corruption in our municipality.
“To blame everything on officials is simply not enough – politicians must have known about this for a long time,” Julius said.
“The DA calls on the MEC to use his powers by writing to the Minister to place the two municipalities under section 139(1)(c) intervention.
“We have written to the Public Protector to investigate some of the failed projects in our municipality and await the outcome,” Julius said.
The FF Plus Member of the Gauteng Legislature, Amanda de Lange said in a media statement the FF Plus demanded that municipal manager, the Executive Mayor and the speaker of council all be dismissed based on the findings made during the investigations.
“Before the investigation was conducted, the FF Plus sent various official letters to the Gauteng MEC, Lebogang Maile, requesting that the municipal manager and the Mayor of Rand West must be investigated for allegations of fruitless and wasteful expenditure, mismanagement, corruption and misconduct.
“During his term of office, which commenced in July 2017, the municipal manager mismanaged the Municipality’s finances resulting in a loss of approximately R1,5 billion through his irregular appointment of service providers; late payments or non-payment to service providers, which accrued needless interest amounting to millions of rand; fraudulent appointments; and fraudulent payment of service providers,” Amanda said.
Bruce Nimmerhoud, the regional chairperson of the PA said, “We will not sit and turn a blind eye while officials and administrators loot and plunder taxpayers’ money for their own selfish gain and enrichment.
Also read: Patriotic Alliance wants everyone linked to municipality scandal suspended
“It is economic and social treason, and we call for the strongest possible action to be meted out to officials, administration, their associates and partners who are implicated and found guilty of this act of sabotage.
“For the longest of time, the West Rand Region has not developed nor reached any substantial capacity, and is in a serious state of regression under the ANC leadership.”
Bethuel Munyai, regional secretary of the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) West Rand Region, also commented.
“This municipality of Rand West has being hijacked by the political hyenas of the ANC, who have been scavenging the millions of rand to their own self-enrichment programmes at the expense of the people of Rand West.
“We welcome the report; however, this report is not entirely dealing with the rampant corruption in the municipality – from the speaker, municipal manager to the Mayor and her cabal are all involved in the looting of this municipality.
“This report is also exonerating the Mayor without substantive investigation. How does the Mayor account to the husband through MPAC (Municipal Public Accounts Committee)?
“Millions of rand have being mismanaged and corrupted through the Covid-19 committee headed by the Mayor, and MPAC is doing nothing about it precisely because of the bedroom arrangement of a husband and wife.
“As the EFF we would like to promote good governance and accountability, and to fight those elements of corruption and fraud in an institution like a municipality. We need to have an open, accountable, corrupt-free government and society without fear of victimisation by the state.
“Those that are implicated must face the full might of the law. We are also calling for special council to sit within 48 hours, cases be opened and those involve be arrested. And those monies must be confiscated back for service delivery.”
Phillip Montshiwa, spokesperson of the RWCLM, responded to the questions the Herald had raised with the municipality, saying, “Yes, the media briefing has been done by the MEC, which indicated findings done; however, the municipality is still awaiting a report from the minister – therefore, the municipality reserves its comments.”
