Most of the service delivery projects of the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality (FTLM) are incomplete and have been abandoned, while the municipality continues to pay a suspended employee millions of rand.

The Limpopo DA confirmed it has written to the Office of the Municipal Manager of the FTLM regarding the prolonged suspension of infrastructure development and technical services director, Surprise Masondo, and the municipality’s failure to conclude a disciplinary procedure.

The municipal council took a resolution to suspend Masondo on an allegation of financial misconduct in October, 2024.

The council appointed an investigator to probe the allegations of misconduct.

The investigation report that was submitted to the council allegedly confirmed that there is an element of financial misconduct and the report was referred to the Financial Misconduct Board for further investigation.

“The board’s investigation report was tabled by Mayor Eddie Maila in council on January 2, and it was resolved to institute disciplinary proceedings against Masondo. The council authorised the acting municipal manager, Mavis Magoa, to appoint an independent and external evidence leader.

The acting municipal manager was also mandated by the municipal council to immediately commence with the disciplinary procedure,” said Cllr Itumeleng Molapo of the DA.

Molapo said his party is deeply concerned about how this matter is being handled. It has been more than a year since the council resolved to institute disciplinary proceedings against Masondo, yet no update has been provided on the progress of the matter, or whether a disciplinary hearing has taken place.

Among issues raised by the DA is that Masondo has been on suspension, receiving a full salary for a period of one year and three months, while the infrastructure development and technical services department is manned on an acting basis.

“Masondo is earning in excess of R1.1m per annum of taxpayers’ money for doing nothing, while the municipality is paying another official as acting director in the department. These funds are supposed to be used for service delivery issues,” complained the party.

The party said the department has only achieved three out of 14 targets (21%) for the first quarter and projects in the municipality have not been completed, such as the Dresden Access Road at a cost of R34m – the project expenditure is at 100% and the project is only at 72% physical progress.

Another project which has stalled is the Praktiseer Library at a cost of R16m. The project expenditure is at 100% and the estimated completion was July 2023, however, the project is not yet finished and has seemingly been abandoned.

According to Molapo, the infrastructure development and technical services department is a cornerstone of service delivery in local government, and the community of Fetakgomo Tubatse will continue to suffer in the absence of a director in the department.

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On Monday, January 26, this publication sought updates from the FTLM’s communications manager, Mahlako Komane, who has yet to respond to queries posed to her at the time of going to press.

The DA said it will continue to monitor the situation and ensure that Masondo’s disciplinary procedure is resolved in due course.