“The Municipal Manager, Mayor, and Speaker are assisting in approving these fraudulent claims.”
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Matatiele says it has noted with grave concern the alleged fraud that has taken place at the Matatiele Local Municipality. This follows claims that some ANC councillors submitted travel allowance claims after attending a strategic planning session in Durban last month.
The DA alleges that most of those involved are ANC councillors and insists it has evidence to support its claims. “Some of these councillors do not even own cars anymore, yet they submitted licence discs, claiming they are still paying for their vehicles. Others did not use their own cars but used vehicles belonging to other people (lifts/hiking). Despite this, their claims were signed and approved by the Municipal Manager (MM), the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and in some cases the Mayor. That is fraud,” said the DA.
The party maintains that this is a serious case of fraud and says it will not let the matter go. It plans to escalate the issue to the Hawks. The DA also intends to include concerns over the purchase of two trucks worth approximately R2.3 million, which have reportedly never been used. It says it previously wrote to the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) in the Eastern Cape but received no response, prompting the decision to approach the Hawks.
Furthermore, the DA claims that since the new acting Municipal Manager took office, she has cancelled all committees. “She changed the evaluation committee and the adjudication committee, causing delays in processes,” the DA said. This comes at a time when there are claims that the municipality does not have sufficient funds and is unable to pay service providers. “ On our reserves we have R192 million, with capital expenditure as well as operational expenditure we R76 million, so there is no such thing as that,” explained DA.
The party further alleges that irregular travel claims continue to be submitted using licence discs, and that senior municipal officials are complicit. “The Municipal Manager, Mayor, and Speaker are assisting in approving these fraudulent claims, effectively enabling the misuse of municipal funds,” said the DA. The Democratic Alliance (DA) further alleges that the are alligations that says the Municipal Manager and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) demand or receive payments from service providers after those providers have been paid by the municipality.
In response, the Matatiele Local Municipality has noted the allegations and stated that, with regard to travel allowance claims, all submissions are processed in line with approved municipal policies and applicable legislation. The municipality emphasised that all claims are supported by the required documentation and are related to official municipal duties. The municipality also indicated that it is not aware of any allegations suggesting that its officials are demanding payments from service providers. “The municipality remains committed to efficient governance and upholding the principles of accountability, transparency, and ethical conduct in all its operations,” said the head of communications Ndabuko Masumpa.
