Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Sesotho soundbites by Cllr Tim Mpakathe and Afrikaans soundbite by Cllr Dewald Hattingh.
The Democratic Alliance caucus in Mantsopa Local Municipality welcomes the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) investigation report on unauthorised, irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditure.
On 29 January 2026, the council instructed the MPAC to investigate unauthorised, irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditure, and to compile an oversight report on the annual report in terms of Section 129 of the Municipal Finance Management Act. The municipality’s irregular expenditure has surged from R6.4 million in 2024 to R22.6 million in 2025.
During the 2024/2025 period, the municipality advertised bids for the maintenance of the Cathcart dam, which was expected to last only three months but ended up exceeding that period, and the municipality spent R15.3 million on the project.
This should have been handled as a capital project from the onset rather than a mere maintenance because it was funded through the Water Service Infrastructure Grant (WSIG) with the R10.8 million fund that was initially intended for the construction of a 48-hour water storage for Ladybrand and Manyatseng, being shifted towards the refurbishment of the Cathcart water treatment works.
Even though the MPAC recommends that this matter be referred to the municipality’s Disciplinary Board for further investigation, the Democratic Alliance views this as a delaying tactic to hold the implicated officials accountable, as there is currently no disciplinary board in Mantsopa. The previous board term expired in November 2025, without investigating a single case brought before it.
We have already urged the municipality’s Accounting Officer to adhere to the general financial management functions stipulated in the Municipal Finance Management Act and to exercise her fiduciary responsibilities by acting in the best interests of the municipality in managing its financial affairs.
We will continue to hold management accountable to ensure that money intended for service delivery is spent exactly for that purpose, and that management complies with the Supply Chain Management regulations and policy, as well as the Municipal Finance Management Act.