Party demands Sekhukhune’s MM to be suspended
He said the municipality spent nearly R64m and R88m on rental services and water losses respectively in the previous financial year, even though some communities on the ground do not have water.
SEKHUKHUNE – The Socialist Agenda of Dispossessed Africans (Sada) wants the Sekhukhune District
Municipality’s (SDM) municipal manager, Maureen Ntshudisane, suspended.
The party wrote to SDM’s executive mayor, Cllr Lata Mathebe, demanding that Ntshudisane be immediately
suspended.
The party wants investigations to be undertaken following reports that, as the accounting officer, she had failed to
exercise her fiduciary responsibilities and general financial management functions as prescribed by Municipal
Finance Management Act 56, 2003, (MFMA) that allegedly culminated in the municipality spending nearly
R480m for non-service delivery purposes.
Included in the total is an amount of R226m that was incurred in unauthorised, irregular and fruitless
and wasteful expenditure in the 2020/21 financial year.
“These shocking exposés were revealed in the Municipal Public Accounts Committee’s (MPAC) Draft
Oversight Report on the 2020/21 Draft Annual Report that was tabled in a council meeting on June 29,” said
Sada’s Cllr Lethabile Kgwedi.
He said some of the main contributors towards this reckless financial mismanagement and abuse of
authority include the following:
“Several tenders were awarded to persons or relatives of persons employed by the state in contravention
of Section(s) 45 and 46 of the Municipal Supply Chain Management (SCM) Regulations.
“Contracts were awarded to bidders who were not adjudicated by the Bid Adjudication Committee as required by
Section 29(1)(a)(b) of the Municipal SCM Regulations.
“Some of the goods and services of a transaction valued above R200 000 were procured without inviting competitive bids as required by Section 19(a) of the Municipal SCM Regulations.”
Kgwedi added that quotations were accepted from bidders whose tax matters had not been declared by
SARS, as envisaged by Section 43 of the Municipal SCM Regulations.
He said the municipality spent nearly R64m and R88m on rental services and water losses respectively in the
previous financial year, even though some communities on the ground do not have water.
Kgwedi and his party wants the MM to face the music.
“Sada is concerned that no effective steps were taken by the accounting officer to probe these expenditures as
required by Section 62 of the MFMA, and in defiance of the recommendations of the Auditor General’s audit action, which prescribes steps to be taken to prevent these expenditures and other losses that the municipality may incur, and to determine if any person is liable for the expenditure as required by Section 32 of the MFMA.”
He said Sada is also considering to lay criminal charges against the accounting officer as guided by Section
171(1)(2) of the MFMA.
SDM’s spokesperson, Khomotso Ndlovu, said the municipality will give its comment after a full report from
MPAC is brought to the council with recommendations.
