The Merafong City Local Municipality this week failed to respond to serious allegations of misconduct raised by the newly formed One Merafong Organisation (OMO).

According to OMO spokesperson Buti Mthembu, the organisation has obtained evidence that the municipality’s draft Integrated Waste Management Plan (IWMP) is largely a reproduction of an outdated plan from 2011.

“On July 1, Merafong City invited the public to review and comment on the draft IWMP. However, what was presented to Council on June 30 as a ‘new’ draft was, in fact, a carbon copy of the 2011 document. OMO has seen the original 2011 document, and the similarities are striking. The language, the structure and even the formatting are identical,” said Mthembu.

“The fact that a supposedly new document is simply a copy of an outdated one raises serious questions about the competence and integrity of the municipality’s officials,” the organisation said.

OMO further claims that this is not an isolated incident, alleging that it has evidence of a long history of corruption and mismanagement in Merafong City.

“The people of Merafong deserve better. They deserve a government that is transparent, accountable and committed to serving their needs,” the organisation said.

OMO has called on the Council to conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged plagiarism and to take disciplinary action against those found responsible. It has also urged the municipality to develop and implement a new, comprehensive IWMP that addresses the needs of the community.

The Herald requested comment from the municipality’s Marketing and Communications Manager, Temba Fezani, regarding the allegations. However, no response had been received by the time of publication.