Irregular expenditure revealed at Endumeni Council
"Our town is in a terrible state, and no wonder. Money that should have been spent on improving our infrastructure was misappropriated by the same people whom we trusted to serve us."
Damning findings have been exposed in a forensic report into irregular expenditure at the Endumeni Municipality.
KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Nomusa Dube-Ncube, said the forensic probe, commissioned last December, reveals damning findings of fraud, corruption and maladministration as well as irregular, unauthorised and fruitless expenditure involving a councillor and some former officials of the municipality.
Included in the findings is corruption involving payments to individuals under the pretext that these were donations to religious organisations, even though such religious organisations were later found to be non-existent.
There were also payments to business entities to purchase equipment in contravention of the municipality’s own policies, fraudulent subsistence and travel claims, the irregular appointment of service providers in violation of the municipality’s supply chain management procedures, excessive and irregular expenditure on security services, etc.
“The council has been given 21 days within which to table the report before the full council, deal with specific details contained in the report and thereafter report to the MEC for Cogta on the remedial actions.”
“This forensic report is proof of our commitment to good and clean governance. As government, we are committed to ensuring that our municipalities spend each and every rand on the real needs of communities. We are fighting maladministration, fraud and corruption in municipalities wherever and whenever these occur. All reported allegations are duly investigated without fear or favour and Cogta does regular follow-ups on the progress with implementation of its recommendations,” said Dube-Ncube.
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“The council has been given 21 days within which to table the report before the full council, deal with specific details contained in the report and thereafter report to the MEC for Cogta on the remedial actions.”
Individual Councillors preferred not to comment on the report until after it had been tabled before a full Council meeting.
In his reaction, FC Bester, chairman of the Endumeni Residents Association, welcomed the report saying that those fingered in the report should be brought to justice and monies reclaimed.
“Our town is in a terrible state, and no wonder. Money that should have been spent on improving our infrastructure was misappropriated by the same people whom we trusted to serve us.” Mr Bester added he had contacted COGTA to request a copy of the full forensic report.
