The Hawks have seized several documents as part of an investigation into alleged tender fraud and corruption at the Mogalakwena Local Municipality in Mokopane, Limpopo, on Monday.
The non-compliance in the supply chain and municipal finances resulted in the municipality incurring an unauthorised expenditure of nearly R3 billion in the last three financial years.
The embattled Mogalakwena Local Municipality in Mokopane, outside Polokwane, has been on the spotlight for the past eight years due to poor governance and maladministration. They include non-compliance in the supply-chain and municipal finances and payment of service providers who did not do any work.
Following a number of complaints by community structures and political organisations, the Hawks have seized documents at the municipality to investigate allegations of corruption and fraud.
Hawks spokesperson Matimba Maluleke is confident that they will arrest perpetrators once investigations are complete. “We are investigating the allegations of fraud and corruption at that municipality so the case has been opened. We receive a lot of complains regarding the fraud and corruption at that municipality , of course it has something to do with tender irregularities and on Friday we have seized some documents that we believe are going to assist us in our investigation and when the investigation is complete is then that we can make an arrest.”
Some councillors at the municipality say they will only be satisfied once the Hawks arrest people who are involved in fraud and corruption. Administrator, Frans Boshielo is the head of intervention at the municipality. He says they welcome efforts made by the Hawks.
“We welcome the Hawks, the Hawks have got the particular role to play, as the intervention team we have the terms of reference before us, our role is to implement those terms of reference.”
The municipal council held a special council sitting on Monday to discuss several issues including the report on the irregular expenditure. “ If there are any irregularities on those reports, this council in terms of the law cannot condone that, what must happen is that there must be investigations on those irregularities and a report will come to council and the council will adjudicate on those reports,” says African National Congress Councillor, Malesela Sebatjane.
In 2018, the Hawks had investigated alleged irregular fuel transactions of nearly R3 million at the municipality. Four years ago, more than R5 million was stolen in the municipality’s safe.
Last week while on a fact-finding mission in the region, Democratic Alliance John Steenhuisen accused the African National Congress of running a mafia state in Mogalakwena Local Municipality. In the video below, Steenhuisen states his views about the state of Mogalakwena Local Municipality:
