Officials at municipalities who engage in corrupt activities have been cautioned by Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs MEC, Sipho Hlomuka.
The MEC said municipalities were “not piggy banks for unscrupulous officials” and that corruption would not be tolerated.
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This follows a series of corruption cases, in particular the case opened in the Abaqulusi local municipality where an official was accused of siphoning off close to R4-million from the embattled municipality’s coffers.
It is claimed that the money was earmarked for payment to Eskom, but the official reportedly altered the recipient’s banking details.
It is also believed that when the bank questioned the transaction, the said official instructed the bank to continue with the payment.
As the municipality was already in financial distress, Cogta appointed Sbu Mkhize as administrator.
Mr Mkhize was also recently sent to administer Umzumbe Municipality which was beset by ongoing protests from business forums.
MEC Hlomuka said he welcomed the bold steps taken there by Mr Mkhize to ensure that the municipality clamped down on corruption.
This had resulted in about two and a half million rand being recovered from the said official’s account, and a case being opened.
“We are very concerned by instances of corruption and as the department, we have a zero-tolerance policy for corruption within local government because it compromises the fiscal standing of our municipalities and their ability to deliver services to our communities,” said the MEC.
He also cautioned officials within the province’s municipalities who are entrusted with the stewardship of municipal funds, saying that his department
would not rest until those fingered in investigations were brought to book.
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