Krugersdorp Game Reserve the latest gravy train?
"Reports of poaching and illegal hunting came to our attention."
While there is a deathly quiet hanging over Mogale City, it seems to be the calm before the storm.
“However, alarm bells went off when it became evident that the already mismanaged Krugersdorp Game Reserve has become the latest ANC gravy train,” said Freedom Front Plus councillor and Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) chairperson for Mogale City, Amanda de Lange.
Also Read: [FOLLOW UP] A third of Krugersdorp Game Reserve burnt to the ground
“I was astounded to learn that the municipal executive management has unilaterally decided to place the derelict and closed-down Krugersdorp Game Reserve under the management of the Tourism Department. The game reserve has always been under the effective management of the Parks Department with qualified staff and a game specialist service provider managing the game, resort and restaurant facilities.
“Reports of poaching and illegal hunting came to our attention, as well as a case that was allegedly opened against the son of one of the senior owners of the Red Ants in mid-February, for illegal hunting in the game reserve.”
According to De Lange, the last report from the Red Ants was made in February and none of the irregular activities in the reserve were reported. “There is supposed to be a weekly and a monthly report to Mogale City’s Integrated Environmental Department which must also be presented to council,” she said. “There is no head count report of the game for the last few months either”.
De Lange said the ANC executive management has appointed a former Marketing Department official as specialist tourism and project manager over the ‘turn-around’ strategy of the game reserve.
“It does not make business sense to place the game reserve under the control of the Tourism Department, even if they have double the staff complement of other understaffed critical service delivery departments in the municipality. It certainly raises questions when an unlawful and bad decision to take the sound and effectively managed reserve and hand it to a security company to manage results in a run-down and derelict facility with badly managed game.”
Also Read: Red Ants improve conditions at Reserve
According to De Lange, the Mogale City official that has now been appointed to be in charge of the game reserve project used to work in the marketing department of Mogale City, from which he was suspended and demoted when fraudulent activities were exposed.
“It is inconceivable how the accountable municipal manager, Mr Raedani, and Mayor Patrick Lipudi deemed this individual suitable to manage a project with access to millions of rands of tax-payers’ money.
“None of these decisions were tabled before a council meeting and therefore they do not carry the approval of councillors who are concerned about the sound and transparent management of Mogale City,” said De Lange.
As chairperson of MPAC with responsibility for oversight over public funds, De Lange has requested information about these irregularities from the Municipal Manager and the Speaker.
“According to our ‘terms of reference’, it is also my duty to report irregularities to the public through the media. It will also be my recommendation to council that a full forensic investigation be done by an outsourced reputable audit company into the affairs surrounding the Krugersdorp Game Reserve.”
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at krugersdorpnews@caxton.co.za or phone us on 011 955 1130.
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