HIGHVELD – The executive council of the Mpumalanga Legislature has assigned the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) to investigate the Govan Mbeki Municipality.
The EXCO resolved to invoke Section 106 of the Local Government Municipal Systems Act, 2000 at GMM and other two municipalities namely, Dr JS Moroka Local Municipality and Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality.
The municipality will be investigated on allegations of maladministration, fraud, corruption and other serious malpractices.
The probe is expected to conclude within 60 days.
Ms Sesekani Manzini, ANC spokesman in the province, said the forensic probe came after there were several allegations made against the municipality.
Cogta will appoint a team to conduct the forensic investigation.
“The investigations are directed to the institution. No individual is being investigated thus far, but the Govan Mbeki Municipality is.”
On the other hand the municipality, received a notice from Eskom that the electricity supply will be terminated, because of the council’s failure to pay its account.
Eskom warned the municipality that it is in breach of the supply agreement entered into between the GMM and Eskom.
The total amount outstanding on the arrears account is R49.6-million.
Eskom said the payment agreement states that if payment is not made within 15 days from the billing date, Eskom may discontinue the supply without notice of termination.
Govan Mbeki Municipality has now less than 14 days to cough up the almost R50-million with Eskom and that press statement will be issued soon.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it is concerned that the large amount demanded by Eskom appears to be unrealistic when compared to the average of R22.5m that the municipality has been able to pay over the last nine months. The party hopes that the municipality will negotiate to decrease the demanded amount to one that is payable.
Ms Ciska Jordaan, caucus leader, said the DA is troubled by the lack of political will with which the ANC-led municipality has been addressing the reasons for the consistent escalation of the Eskom debt.
“The council is yet to receive the outcome of a water and electricity meter audit that was conducted from August to October this year, which is intended to rectify illegal connections and ghost vending within Govan Mbeki Municipality.
“Even though the report has not yet been made available to the council, it is difficult to understand why the municipality did not proactively rectify these contraventions on the spot during the audit. If they had, it would have been evident in the account that the municipality has been receiving monthly from Eskom.”
