HIGHVELD – The Govan Mbeki Municipality is under investigation for maladministration, nepotism, the selling of RDP houses and empty stands.
Mr Mandla Msibi of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), tabled the terms of reference for forensic investigation during an extraordinary council meeting held in the council chambers on Thursday, 22 November.
The terms of reference include non-implementation of council resolutions, the abuse of municipal property and assets, advertisement of tenders without following legislation and awarding of bursaries without following procedures.
Mr Msibi said the investigation will take 60 days and the outcomes will be tabled in due course.
The investigation is under Section 106 (1) (b) of the Municipal Systems Act, 32 of 2000 which states that if the MEC has reason to believe that a municipality in the province cannot or does not fulfil a statutory obligation binding on the municipality or that maladministration, fraud, corruption or any other serious malpractice has occurred or is occurring in a municipality in the province, the MEC must designate a person or persons to investigate the matter.
He disputed that the decision to implement Section 106 was initiated by the council and said it was taken by the Provincial Executive Council earlier this month.
Mr Msibi said Dr JS Moroka and Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipalities are also being investigated. “I urge you to co-operate so that the investigation will be successful.”It will be done without fear or prejudice and it will date back from 2017 until this year.”
Opposition parties welcomed the investigation.
The Democratic Alliance said they are happy with the investigation, though they wanted it to date back to 2011.
The DA urged Mr Msibi and the independent investigator to protect and encourage whistle-blowers – both employees within the municipality and the public – to speak out against any wrongdoing that is taking place in the municipality.
The party called on the independent investigator to examine wrongdoings in the Govan Mbeki Municipality with the strictest conviction and without any fear or favour.
“The DA fully supports and agrees with the statement of the MEC that has condemned any political interference with the investigation and hopes that the investigator will give the highest level of consideration to our call for whistle-blowers to come forward with information.
“However concerning the undesirable responses of the MEC to the questions and proposals that were made by the DA, we believe only time will tell whether the investigation is yet again another blindfold on the eyes of the public who has been left without quality services for far too long.
“Or whether there is a will to finally deal with maladministration that has brought this municipality to its knees.
“The DA eagerly awaits the outcome of this investigation that is expected to be presented to the council early in 2020,” said Ms Ciska Jordaan, DA caucus leader.
