Note to editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Dr Igor Scheurkogel MP and Sesotho by Cllr Thulani Mbana.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is raising serious concerns about the misuse of public funds and the apparent neglect of community infrastructure in Refengkgotso. The Deneysville Sports Ground, which was supposed to be a beacon of community development, has become a glaring example of municipal mismanagement. Despite substantial funding for its upgrade, the project has failed to deliver the promised improvements, leaving the sports ground in disrepair and disuse.
An oversight visit conducted on Monday, 26 August, by Cllr Jeff Zwane revealed that the sports ground does not reflect the R7 million reportedly spent on its upgrade through the 2014/2015 Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG). The total amount allocated for the project was R14,063,990, but due to poor implementation by Metsimaholo Local Municipality, the funds have not been utilised as planned.
Despite the significant investment, the sports ground features only two multi-purpose courts and a few containers that were revamped to serve as bathrooms and shower facilities. Shockingly, these facilities are unconnected to the water infrastructure and have been vandalised, leaving them in a state of disrepair. The sports ground remains largely unused, turning what should have been a community asset into a neglected and decaying site. Please see the pictures here, here and here.
It is particularly alarming that the municipality is now proposing to spend an additional R10 million on the sports ground. This proposal raises serious questions about the municipality’s ability to exercise proper oversight and ensure that funds allocated for community upliftment are used effectively.
The municipality has demonstrated significant mismanagement and a lack of effective oversight in handling public funds, specifically those allocated through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG). Despite receiving substantial funding, the municipality failed to deliver on its promises to upgrade the sports ground, leading to incomplete and poorly executed projects.
This suggests a broader issue of inefficiency, neglect, and possibly even corruption within the municipality, which has resulted in the community being deprived of essential infrastructure and services. The municipality’s intention to spend an additional R10 million on the same project without addressing the existing failures further indicates a troubling pattern of fiscal irresponsibility and disregard for proper planning and execution. The DA believes that the failure to manage and utilise MIG funds has deprived the residents of Refengkgotso of the dignity and opportunities they deserve.
We will write to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) and the Minister of Finance, calling for a thorough investigation into the upgrade of the Deneysville Sports Ground. We demand accountability for the funds spent and insist that steps be taken to ensure that the residents of Refengkgotso receive the infrastructure and services they were promised. The DA remains committed to ensuring that government funds are used transparently and effectively to benefit all communities, particularly those in rural and disadvantaged areas.