Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Sesotho soundbites by Cllr Eric Motloung and Afrikaans soundbite by Cllr Leona Kleynhans.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will make a formal submission to Parliament, through our members serving on the committee on local government, to hold the Executive Mayor of Dihlabeng, Cllr Tseki Tseki, accountable for misleading Parliament following his false claims and failure to act.
The Executive Mayor, Cllr Tseki Tseki, made claims that there is no capacity to investigate unauthorised, irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditure by the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC)
He further stated that the majority of councillors cannot read financial statements, which is why he has not appointed a permanent MMC of Finance since 2022, despite the portfolio’s instability.
It is important to note that the same Executive Mayor was the MPAC Chairperson during the 2012 to 2016 term and further served as the MMC of Finance during the 2016 to 2021 term, and this confirms that the Executive Mayor did nothing in 10 years to investigate an address and unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure during his term.
All these financial irregularities occurred during his term while serving in two portfolios that should have been investigated and provided oversight on financial misconduct. They recommended that consequence management be instituted for the council.
It is also important to note that the municipality is ANC-led, and the lack of capacity the Executive Mayor was referring to is directed to the ANC and its deployed councillors.
During the oversight committee meeting, the Executive Mayor committed to appointing an MMC of Finance within two weeks and to reporting back to Parliament on the appointment. However, the deadline has passed, and the Executive Mayor has neither appointed an MMC of Finance nor tabled the appointment in council accordingly.
It is also misleading that the municipal public accounts committee could not quorate during its meetings because the councillors who do not attend meetings are those of the ANC.
It is also essential, as we approach the Local Government Elections (LGE), that the residents of Dihlabeng Municipality vote for an accountable government to rescue the municipality, and that is a DA-led administration.