Mogalakwena not under admin

Mogalakwena Municipality is not yet under administration in terms of Section 139 of the Constitution despite an announcement by MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta), Basikopo Makamu in November last year that the Provincial Government intends to intervene in the governance of the municipality.

Spokesperson for Coghsta, Molebatsi Masedi confirmed last Thursday that no administrator has been appointed as yet and that the department is still following due process to effect an intervention that may involve the deployment of a task team to assist the municipality. Further attempts to obtain updates regarding the process were futile.

In the meantime, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo last Wednesday also requested Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Mogalakwena Municipality, Charles Malema to immediately terminate the rental of a Mercedes-Benz C-class for Mayor Andrina Matsimela which has already cost taxpayers more than R207 400 from July to November last year.

DA councillor of the municipality, Korny Dekker said in a media release that an amount of R98 389.82 was paid on 21 October 2019 and a further R109 010,50 on 28 November 2019 for the temporary replacement vehicle that was hired as an official mayoral vehicle after the mayor’s previous Mercedes-Benz was written off in an accident. "The municipality's insurers settled the claim and paid out

R800 000 and I can't understand why a replacement vehicle has not been procured as yet," Dekker confirmed.

"This luxury rental is taking place regardless of new austerity measures being put in place with the cost of official vehicles being capped at R700 000, inclusive of VAT, maintenance plans and security extras. More than a quarter of the total allowed amount has therefore already been spent in less than six months," Dekker reckoned and concluded by saying that the DA believes that this rental plan is just another way to loot the municipal coffers whilst the residents of Mogalakwena continue to suffer a lack of service delivery in their villages.

Requests for comment directed to municipal spokesperson Malesela Selokela were to no avail.