R4m allegedly disappears at FTLM
Among the party's concerns is that the FTLM allegedly overpaid contractors for the construction of the Mogotwaneng access road and the construction of Motodi Sports Complex in the 2021/22 financial year.
The EFF in Limpopo alleges that more than R4m has disappeared from the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality (FTLM)’s bank accounts.
The party said the municipality has breached section 10 (1) (a) of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) by having two municipal bank accounts, which are not administered by either the municipal accounting officer or the chief financial officer.
“The municipality must come clean and account transparently. What is more concerning, is that the suspicious transaction of R4.5m has not been reported to the relevant law enforcement agencies.”
“We call on the portfolio committee on Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) to probe the fraudulent, irregular and unauthorised expenditure from the municipal bank accounts,” said EFF councillor, Walter Molapo.
“The EFF will be relieved when harsh action is taken against senior municipal managers over this maleficence which is fundamentally affecting the delivery of basic services to our people.”
Among the party’s concerns is that the FTLM allegedly overpaid contractors for the construction of the Mogotwaneng access road and the construction of Motodi Sports Complex in the 2021/22 financial year.
“All these tender shenanigans were covered up until the EFF unearthed the systemic looting of public funds. As a result we demand consequence management against municipal officials with their hands in the cookie jar.”
The EFF also condemned the manner in which the council speaker, Reneilwe Pholoane, conducts MPAC meetings.
“Pholoane only conducts council meetings through an online platform when pertinent issues such as Integrated Development Planning (IDP), budgets and the MPAC are on the agenda, in order to micro-manage the participation by members of the opposition parties and ultimately suppress their inputs.
“This resulted in council adopting a report that concealed the alleged corrupt and fraudulent activities.”
Thabiso Mokoena, communications manager at the FTLM, confirmed to Steelburger/Lydenburg News that the MPAC is currently investigating the allegations raised by the EFF.
“With investigations continuing, we await the MPAC findings on the matters.”
