What else Lekwa spends its money on
The mayor of the Lekwa municipality is Linda Dhlamini. Under his tenure, the sewage flowing into the Vaal River has not abated, even after spending millions. The municipality has also spent millions on private security, accommodation and meat while it reels from debt that has shut down the water supply and landed it in court.
The Mail & Guardian Data Desk has analysed 96 specific payments amounting to about R3.5-million. The records provided to the
M&G by a whistle-blower in the municipality contained only dates, amounts, reference numbers and the recipients.
After weeks, the municipality’s spokesperson, Thobeka Mtshiselwa, has not responded to questions about why it spent the funds on events and cars while the municipality struggles to maintain basic infrastructure and keep the lights on.
The payment data showed that most payment activities happened last year. This as the municipality’s Eskom debt soared and water provision for residents and businesses was constantly interrupted because of failure to make payments to the department of water and sanitation. Yet it was during this time that the municipality took on the services of a company called FBI VIP Protection. No records of this company could be traced.
The municipality has made 16 payments to FBI VIP Protection, to the tune of R1 267 462, the largest tranche of which were made in 2018. The municipality appears to have bought a car worth R701 792 in November last year from BMW South Africa — the highest single payment made.
In a comment in a previous article by the M&G, the municipality’s communication officer, Noluthando Nkosi, defended this expenditure.
Thakhu Catering received the second-highest payment, of
R598 967 for their services in May last year.
When Thandiwe Mbatha, the owner of the company, was contacted, she stated that she was directed to the municipality by the department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs.
The company’s portfolio online shows previous clients and referrals include those from Eskom, together with the department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs, the department of safety and security and the department of agriculture.
Mbatha could not provide further details, stating her family was dealing with a bereavement.
As well as events and security the municipality also seems partial to spending taxpayers’ money on travelling and eating out at restaurants, with one outing in particular requiring a single payment of
R63 990.
Questionable beneficiaries of the municipality’s spending include two payments, worth a total of
R42 324, made to The Best Funeral Society, while R39 466 was paid to Ekaya Promotions. — Athandiwe Saba, M&G Data Desk