The Office of the Public Protector is investigating allegations of maladministration, fraud, nepotism, abuse of office and municipal resources by the Mamusa Local Municipality at Schweizer-Reneke in the North West.
The complaints were lodged by a non-profit organisation – Centre for Good Governance and Social Justice Centre – based in Schweizer-Reneke, in 2020.
They include the irregular appointment of ten senior officials, irregular payment of allowances and tender fraud.
Troubled Mamusa local municipality placed under administration:
Centre for Good Governance and Social Justice Centre’s director, Boyce Mpembe, says the organisational structure of the municipality is bloated.
“We have a lot of jobs-for-pals’ situation in Mamusa to the extent that the organisational structure of this municipality is so bloated. You find a clerk being given a car allowance. Tender frauds … we have cases of this where a senior official of the municipality writes the minutes of a bid committee a day before the meeting of the bid committee was held.”
The Office of the Public Protector says those implicated in the allegations have been notified.
Spokesperson for the Public Protector Oupa Segalwe says the Public Protector is awaiting their responses.
“The Public Protector is investigating alleged maladministration, fraud, nepotism, misrepresentation, abuse of office and abuse of municipal resources among other things against Mamusa Municipality in the North West. To date, allegation letters have been written to all affected parties. The Public Protector is awaiting their responses. The matter is therefore ongoing.”
A call for motion of no confidence in North West municipal leaders:
Co-operation with investigations
Mamusa Municipal Mayor, Doctor Batsi, says they will co-operate with investigators. “We will allow them space to conduct the investigations, and any remedial action that they got we will allow them to take its course.”
MEC for Local Government, Mmoloki Cwaile says the provincial government also welcomes the investigations.
“We welcome the investigation by the public protector. However, we will also invoke section 106 of the municipal systems act and investigate. However, that municipality forms part of the municipalities where we are appointing forensic investigators to look into other related irregularities.”
The Centre for Good Governance and Social Justice Centre believes these acts of maladministration and irregularities have impacted negatively on the delivery of services.
