LIMPOPO – After failing to pay the service provider, Quantibuild (Pty) Ltd R11,8 million on time, the Northern Gauteng high court ordered the sheriff to attach Thabazimbi Municipality’s properties amounting to R5 million, including the mayor’s vehicles.
During the repossession of the vehicles, it is alleged that the mayor and her driver fled the scene after they realised that the mayor’s car was also on the list.
MP Desiree van der Walt, also DA’s constituency head for Thabazimbi, said it was most concerning that the list included a refuse removal truck and two water trucks while communities still struggled without water and refuse was not removed.
According to Van der Walt, the municipality is reported to owe several service providers more than R200 million after rendering services.
“It is further alleged that the municipality owes Eskom more than R80 million. Eskom is now threatening to cut the power supply,” she said.
“Other service providers are reportedly owed more than R100 million. Recently, the ANC deployed a senior financial specialist for a period of three months to rescue and resolve the municipal finances, but nothing has improved.”
In April 2014, Thabazimbi made headlines for owing Eskom more than R54 million.
The mayor, Paulina Moshito defended herself by saying the huge electricity bill was inherited from the previous administration.
Approached for comment, municipal spokesperson, Joshua Motsoamane, referred all media queries to Gopolang Booysen, acting municipal manager.
Booysen said they were in negotiations with the service provider who took them to court in order to retain the vehicles and other properties.
He said the mayor’s car was on the list, but it was never repossessed.
“The total amount due to the service provider is R11,8 million and to date, we have paid R4,1 million only.
“We are negotiating with him because the municipality can’t render services when vehicles and other properties are taken. Initially, we were negotiating to pay him R3 million and he refused. The service provider was appointed in 2012 to upgrade the Waste Water Treatment Works and the project was stopped in 2013. Currently we are still negotiating with him on a settlement amount to get our properties back,” said Booysen.
