The road body's CEO and CFO were both recently suspended due to whistle-blower complaints of mismanagement of finances.
The cash-strapped Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), which has fired low-level cleaners to save money, is reportedly spending R2 million on a four-day youth road safety debate at what critics says is “an entirely inappropriate venue for teenagers” – a luxury hotel with a casino.
A room at The Maslow Time Square Hotel in Menlyn, Pretoria, in the capital city’s leafy eastern suburbs, costs between R3 400 and R14 900 a night.
Lavish venue raises concern
The establishment prides itself as the best choice of stylishly appointed multilevel accommodation in Pretoria suitable for business and leisure guests.
The event, which began on Tuesday and runs to Friday, hosts Grade 10 and 11 pupils from across the country as part of the National Road Safety Debates and Participatory Educational Techniques (PET) competitions.
Sources claim about 300 pupils and minders are attending the event.
According to RTMC, which is responsible for the country’s road traffic management and safety, the annual debates are aimed at empowering school pupils to engage in road safety initiatives.
Youth debates
According to a media advisory issued by the RTMC, the debates competition provides pupils with a platform to debate on road safety issues, while the participatory educational techniques competition encourages pupils to identify road engineering challenges and develop experiential solutions to address those challenges in their communities.
ALSO READ: RTMC CEO’s suspension due to host of serious whistleblower allegations
The debates have been running since 2007 in partnership with the department of basic education and provincial transport departments.
South Africa is part of the consortium of nations that signed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations members in 2015.
The aim of the Sustainable Development Goal Target 3.6 is to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2030.
However, results of the most recent report released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), titled Road Transport Accidents Deaths in South Africa, 2007-2019, the number of deaths resulting from road traffic accidents escalated from 6 556 in 2015 to 6 652 in 2016 immediately following the declaration year of 2015.
Financial and governance turmoil at RTMC
The event comes amid serious governance challenges at the RTMC, with CEO Makhosini Msibi placed on precautionary suspension in July following whistle-blower allegations of financial misconduct, irregular expenditure and governance failures.
Refilwe Mongale has been appointed interim CEO to ensure continuity, while a forensic investigation led by KPMG is underway.
RTMC chief financial officer Liana Moolman was also recently suspended following whistle-blower complaints of budget mismanagement.
The auditor-general has reportedly noted R33.48 million in overspending of RTMC’s total adjusted budget, allegedly linked to decisions taken by Msibi.
ALSO READ: RTMC CFO also suspended due to whistleblower allegations
Backlash over misuse of funds
On 31 May, Msibi issued an internal memo that the entity was in a “dire financial state, facing severe liquidity constraints and an unsustainable fiscal position”, introducing austerity measures.
As the RTMC hosts the national debate, the controversy over the choice of venue and ongoing governance crises continue to overshadow its youth engagement efforts.
The Forum for South Africa has condemned the choice of venue, describing it as “entirely inappropriate” for teenagers.
“At a time when society is working to discourage underage drinking and promote responsible behaviour, it is unacceptable for government entities to expose young pupils to environments associated with gambling and alcohol consumption,” said forum leader Tebogo Mashilompane.
He also questioned the responsible use of public funds, noting that government departments continue to host expensive events despite calls for cost-cutting and the availability of more affordable public facilities.
RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane said: “The RTMC is not commenting at this stage. A media briefing will be arranged in due course.”
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