Truth will prevail, says ex-MEC after guilty verdict
FORMER Gauteng MEC for arts, sport, culture and recreation Molebatsi Bopape has been found guilty and ordered to pay more than R90 000 to the government for security upgrades at her Pretoria home.
Bopape was also found to have influenced the decision to award a security tender to a private security company which, according to Premier David Makhura, fell outside her political role.
Makhura revealed this during the tabling of his political report for 2016 in the provincial legislature yesterday.
He said more than R373 000 was spent on security upgrades at the Bopape home, while the Ministerial Handbook allowed for only R100 000 in security upgrades.
Makhura said Bopape was liable for R91 000, while the rest of the money would be recovered from officials who approved the upgrades.
He said the task team, led by provincial director-general Phindile Baleni, appointed the forensic investigators who in their findings found the department had a leadership vacuum caused by poor relations between Bopape and fired head of department Namhla Siqaza.
“The MEC interfered in supply chain management processes and often questioned decisions of the Departmental Acquisitions Council. The working relationship between the MEC and head of department (HoD) had irretrievably broken down, and the senior management team was divided into the group that supports the MEC and the one that supports the HoD,” Makhura said.
He also said new allegations had since emerged against Bopape, adding that he had already asked MEC for Finance Barbara Creecy to launch a probe.
“The forensic investigators found that there were breaches of regulations in respect of procurement processes, public financial management and human resources processes within the department.
“Breach of supply chain processes occurred on at least three occasions, including irregularly awarding a tender for protection and security services and incurring fruitless and wasteful expenditure by appointing a company to perform a function that was not in the department’s plans, and shifting of funds to certain functions without seeking permission of the Treasury department,” Makhura said.
He also said Bopape had flouted human resource procedures in her appointment of several staff members, including senior management positions.
“It was also found that the MEC unlawfully interfered in the supply chain processes, leading to an irregular appointment of a security company whose contract is now being terminated. However, government has already suffered losses,” Makhura said.
He said the interfering in the supply chain management processes, irregular appointment of service providers and officials, as well as the consequent factionalisation of the senior management team by “the former MEC and HoD created considerable paralysis and dysfunctionality in the department”.
To avoid similar incidents, Makhura said he wanted to appoint a retired judge in his bid to ensure that all politicians and senior officials in the provincial government toe the line against corruption.
He said his immediate plan was to appoint a civil-society-led Integrity Promotion and Anti-Corruption Advisory Committee, which would be chaired by a retired judge.
“The role of the committee will be to vigorously enforce the guidelines and promote clean governance in our province.
“This committee will help sustain the trajectory of clean governance and ethical leadership at every level of administration,” Makhura said.
Bopape did not want to comment but told The Star: “The truth will prevail.”