CDM and DA cross swords over R70 000 mayoral chain
The DA is up in arms about a mayoral chain that was recently purchased for Capricorn District Municipality (CDM) Mayor Mamedupi Teffo for an amount exceeding R70 000.
POLOKWANE – The DA now demands an explanation from the municipality’s municipal manager.
The DA is up in arms about a mayoral chain that was recently purchased for Capricorn District Municipality (CDM) Mayor Mamedupi Teffo for an amount exceeding R70 000 and now demands an explanation from the municipality’s municipal manager.
According to DA councillor Androe Botha, Teffo already donned the new finery on November 26 last year, but CDM only paid the R70 716 for the chain seven months later.
“The new chain was paid for at the end of June from the communications budget, despite MFMA regulations stipulating that payments of monies due by a municipality must be paid within 30 days,” Botha alleged and added that the DA enquired after the whereabouts of the chain used by former Mayor John Mpe and apparently the previous chain is missing.
“The DA demands to know whether the missing chain was reported to the police for investigation, whether the old chain was insured, why the new chain was purchased from the communications budget and why MFMA regulations was flaunted by such a late payment,” Botha said.
“Despite the ruling party’s renewed call for austerity, lavish expenses continue unabated and the DA will monitor any wasteful spending and push for it to be curtailed so that tax payers’ money rightfully goes towards service delivery and not unnecessary luxuries,” Botha insists.
Spokesperson for the municipality, Moffat Senyatsi, said that the DA’s allegations are not based on facts.
“CDM has never had a mayoral chain until now. All former executive mayors were inaugurated using a borrowed chain from our local municipalities. CDM simply put its logo sticker on the chain pendant for the purposes of inauguration and removed it when the chain was returned.
“The municipality saw it proper to procure its own asset, which is the chain that Teffo was wearing during her inauguration. Payment was made on December 20, 2021, not seven months later as maliciously alleged by the DA,” Senyatsi explained and said that the communications budget covers costs for the purchase of corporate branding material and the chain fell in that category and was thus bought from the right cost centre.
According to Senyatsi, Mpe and all former mayors used a chain that was borrowed from the Lepelle Nkumpi Municipality.
“Borrowed property is not an asset and it was never lost while in CDM’s custody and since there is no missing chain, it would be an offence of perjury to report a property that is neither stolen nor lost or missing,” Senyatsi stated.
Senyatsi explained that there are categories of mayoral chains. The district mayoral chain is at 9ct, which is the lowest, cheapest category for municipalities at level three and four. Some chains in other categories cost twice as much. This is now a municipal asset and is safeguarded for future inauguration ceremonies.
“The municipality could no longer depend on borrowed chains as this could be inconvenient if all mayors in the district could have a joint inauguration, each wearing their own chain. This became clear when the MEC for CoGHSTA recently held a re-affirmation and congratulatory ceremony for all mayors in the district, at the same time. Luckily, all of them had their mayoral chains on as no one borrowed or lent a chain,” Senyatsi concluded.
