The MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Mr Mandla Msibi, handed over the Section 106 investigative report to council last week.
This forensic investigation was conducted about the Lekwa Municipality and has not yet been tabled.
Section 106 of the Municipal Systems Act states that if an MEC has reason to believe that a municipality in the province cannot or does not fulfil a statutory obligation binding on that municipality, or that maladministration, fraud, corruption or any other serious malpractice has occurred, or is occurring in a municipality in a province, the MEC must:
• by written notice to the municipality, request the municipal council or municipal manager to provide the MEC with information required in the notice; or
• if the MEC considers it necessary, designate a person or persons to investigate the matter.
Such an investigation was requested in council in 2018 to investigate allegations of maladministration and corruption.
Ms Sithi Silosini, PR-councillor of the DA, said the party takes note of the report and commended Mr Msibi for heeding their call to release the findings of the report.
“We also take note of the unacceptable lengthy time it has taken his office to release such an important document to council and ask that matters of such importance and urgency never again take two years to find expression, as it impacts negatively on the state and running of the municipality,” Ms Silosini also said.
Also read: CoGTA fails to hand over investigative report on Lekwa Municipality
