Municipality under admin

THE Mogalakwena Municipality has been put under administration under section 139 1(b) of the Constitution by the Limpopo Executive Council through the department of cooperative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs (Coghsta).

This was announced by Coghsta MEC Ishmael Kgetjepe during a media briefing held at the department on Monday.

Kgetjepe said all the officials and politicians implicated in the KPMG forensic audit report on the Mogalakwena Municipality would have to face the music as soon as the administration procedure was implemented.

However, he declined to say who the appointed administrator would be. The appointed administrator will also have to implement the financial audit recommendations.

Kgetjepe further said the reasons for the decision to put the municipality under administration included the dispute over the validity of the municipal manager’s contract, in fighting and corruption, which had left the municipal coffers empty.

“The situation within the municipality is inconsistent with the objectives of local government as enshrined in the Constitution, which is to provide democratic and accountable government to local communities, and to ensure the provision of services to communities in a suitable manner,” Kgetjepe explained.

He said he took the forensic audit report very seriously, adding that no action in this regard could be taken until the Mogalakwena council had followed the prescribed process in acting against those implicated.

He said he would leave no stone unturned to ensure that justice was served and that the best interests of the municipality and residents were considered.

The administration process was expected to take six months but could continue beyond this period, he added.

DA councillor Beyers Smit said the DA had been calling for the administration of the municipality for some time. He said the DA would monitor the announcement of the administrator’s identity closely and would take a stand if they were not happy with the appointment.

Cope councillor Pat Motlouneng said the Constitution referred to a municipality that was failing to execute its obligations, and not a municipality with political fights. “The MEC is protecting corruption because we are able to give services to our people but now that the forensic audit report has implicated certain individuals, the MEC wants to take over and protect those implicated,” he alleged.

Municipal spokesperson, Malesela Selokela was not available for comment at the time of going to print.