Financial records hamper probe into chieftancy

The Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela traditional council did not submit all financial documents for auditing, the Maluleke commission heard yesterday.

“We were not told that we had to provide such records to the office of the auditor-general,” said Kobedi Pilane, chairperson of the traditional council.

“We were under the impression that only the financial books of the D-Account were required and that is what we submitted.

“Had we known that even expenditure and annual financial records were needed we would have provided them.”

He was testifying at the commission, probing the chieftancy of Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela in Moruleng.

The commission investigated whether David Mpule Pheto is the rightful candidate to lead the Moruleng chapter.

Retired Judge George Maluleke, who orginally chaired the commission, died in August last year, before it could complete its inquiry.

Advocate Sesi Baloyi took over as the chairperson.

Pilane told the commission the missing information could be found in the records of the chief executive officer of the Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela Traditional Administration.

Baloyi said annual financial documents, income and expenditure documents, as well as the D-Account records of the Tradi- tional Council have not been provided to the auditor-general.

The commission heard that the traditional council did receive some monies and used it for community projects.

The projects were mostly in partnership with government departments.

Baloyi said the traditional council failed to honour the call of providing all the required financial records. – ANA